


For Love and Honor

by awriterfandf



Series: Sailor Moon - an alternate reality [48]
Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga), Girls und Panzer
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-16 23:20:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 22,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28839171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awriterfandf/pseuds/awriterfandf
Summary: This is the third follow-up to 'Twist of Fate' and begins the day after 'Family Feud'.While Minako and Usagi make plans for an intimate getaway at Makoto's house for the Anglerfish girls and their boyfriends, Miho faces a painfully difficult decision regarding her relationship with Yusei and her future at Ooarai.
Series: Sailor Moon - an alternate reality [48]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2095488





	1. Chapter 1

**For Love and Honor**

This is the third follow-up to 'Twist of Fate' and begins the day after 'Family Feud'.

While Minako and Usagi make plans for an intimate getaway at Makoto's house for the Anglerfish girls and their boyfriends, Miho faces a painfully difficult decision regarding her relationship with Yusei and her future at Ooarai.

. . . . .

**Chapter 1: Fateful Meeting**

Nishizumi Miho steered her rental car away from Nagasaki, driving northeast onto Highway 251. "We should arrive at my parents' home in under three hours, Yusei honey. Perhaps even sooner if the traffic isn't too bad." She smiled sweetly at her boyfriend. "Are you feeling nervous?"

" _Very_ nervous, my love!" the sixteen-year-old boy sitting to her left grinned. He shifted uneasily in the passenger seat. "I didn't think I'd be meeting your mother so soon."

"I am too" Miho confessed as she urged the tiny Daihatsu Kei car up to the expressway's speed limit with a firm press on its accelerator. "And more than a little worried. I'm not sure what will happen today, but please remember that I love you, my Yusei. No matter how my mother feels about us dating, that will _never_ change." She reached out her left hand and and gently grasped his right hand in hers, squeezing it softly. "And neither will our relationship."

"You still only received that one short text message from her? Nothing since?"

"Hai. I was hoping Maho would know what's in store for us, but I haven't talked to her since yesterday's match started. She didn't leave her Tiger after we knocked it out, and she didn't attend Saunders' post-match party either, which I thought was rather strange."

"Perhaps the loss of face to Kuromorimine was too much for her to deal with" the boy beside her suggested.

"Possibly" Miho mused. "With any luck, she'll be at home when we arrive, and I can ask her what's going on before we talk to my mother. It would be helpful to know why I was called back to the city so suddenly. To be honest, I just want to get this trip over with so we can move on with our lives together." She carefully changed lanes and accelerated the rental car past a lumbering delivery truck. "Speaking of which, I haven't had a chance to ask you yet but did you tell your friends about your visit to the other Earth?"

'Hai. I did" Yusei chuckled. "They don't believe a single word of what I told them. Even my brother thinks I'm making it all up. Sometimes I still find myself wondering if it really happened, but it must have. Otherwise I would've gotten you in big trouble."

"It certainly did happen, darling." Miho giggled, "You should've seen Momo's expression when she slid my closet door open and you weren't there! The look on her face was priceless!"

"I can imagine it" the teenage boy laughed. "That was a really close call!" He asked the brown-haired girl at the wheel, "So you and your entire Anglerfish team were there once before? To Makoto's house in that other strange dimension?"

"We were, but just for twenty-four hours. Usagi and Minako are convinced that we'll be returning to the house again very soon, for a much longer stay. Perhaps even a week."

"A whole week?" Yusei smiled shyly at his girl. "Will you miss me, my love? Or miss the constant stream of texts I keep sending to your phone?" he chuckled.

"No" Miho smiled brightly back. "Because you and my team's boyfriends will be there with us!"

" _Nani?"_

"Hai! Minako even copied the way I try to label my tactical operations by giving our upcoming trip an appropriate name. She calls it 'Operation Phase Three'".

"I heard Yukari use that strange phrase before" Yusei puzzled. "And so did Ryoto. But we have absolutely no idea what she was talking about, and every time Ryoto asked her about it, she only giggled and changed the subject. Would you happen to know what Minako is planning, Miho honey?"

His girlfriend's cheeks began to redden. "Um... actually I do. But we should probably discuss that subject later, after our... uh... holiday in the other dimension actually begins."

"Oh. Now you definitely have me even _more_ curious about that Phase Three thing!" Yusei chuckled. "I'm certainly looking forward to it, whatever it is."

Miho turned her head to smile coyly at her boyfriend and softly replied, "Me too, my darling. Very, _very_ much."

. . . . .

Not long after the young couple had reached Kumamoto City, Miho pulled her rental car into the driveway of the Nishizumi residence, passing between two large ornate iron gates set into the imposing high-walled property. "Here we are, my love. This is what was... not very long ago... my home. Do you like it?"

"It's honestly kind of scary" the teenage boy murmured, taking in the grandiose surroundings. Yusei could immediately sense the decades of storied tradition that infused the house and its surrounding well-kept grounds. "It almost feels like we just entered a military compound. Or maybe even... a prison."

"It isn't _that_ bad!" Miho giggled. She parked the car near the main entrance and the couple climbed out. Holding hands, they walked up to the large home and reached its front door just as it swung inward. "Maho! Ohayou!"

The girl inside the expansive house now wore a plain white top and blue skirt, and seemed surprised at the presence of her sister's male companion. "Ohayou, Miho. You brought your boyfriend along?"

"Hai!" the younger sister smiled happily as she introduced him. "May I present Ikeda Yusei."

Yusei and Maho politely bowed to one another. "After watching you and your Tiger in action many times, I am honored to finally meet you in person, Nishizumi-san."

The girl at the door replied, "Likewise, Ikeda-san." Maho uttered a scarcely audible sigh, and Miho immediately knew that something was deeply troubling her elder sibling. "Mother is waiting for you" she added.

"We'll go right in. But first... can you give me some idea of what to expect from the meeting today?"

"It isn't my place to say such things, Miho" her sister frowned. "Not anymore."

. . . . .

Miho slid open the wood-framed shoji and lead Yusei into a large, sparsely-furnished room. The boy nervously followed, noticing a large sepia-toned painting of a first-world-war tank adorning most of the back wall, before which an attractive middle-aged woman sat behind a low rectangular table.

The couple crossed the room's polished-to-perfection oaken floor and bowed deeply to their hostess. "I came as soon as I could, Okāsan. And I brought my-"

"Your boyfriend." Her mother remained seated, her face expressionless as she examined the teen closely. "Your name?"

"My name is Ikeda Yusei, Nishizumi-sensei" he replied. "It is a very great honor to meet the mother of my girlfriend."

The woman gestured to the floor beside the table. "You may both be seated. There is much to discuss, Miho. After I talk to your travelling companion, I must insist he wait outside so we can complete our conversation in private."

"Uh... of course, Okāsan" Miho nodded. The teens obediently took places across the table, wondering where the conversation would lead.

Miho's mother immediately began interrogating the sixteen-year-old boy. "Which school ship do you attend classes on, Yusei-chan?"

"My ship's name is the Hōshō, Nishizumi-sensei."

"Hmm. An older vessel. And your parents? How do they earn a living?"

Miho listened intently, hoping that her boyfriend's parents' occupations would meet with her mother's approval.

"My mother is a housewife. She no longer works for a company, but is a university graduate and was successfully employed for several years as a legal assistant at a law firm in Ooarai."

"And your father? What does he do?"

Yusei smiled proudly, "He's a theoretical physicist at the University of Tokyo."

"Oh? That is somewhat impressive." A trace of a smile appeared on the woman's lips. "Good. Very good." She pressed on, "What are your long-term intentions regarding my daughter? She hasn't had a boyfriend before, at least none that I'm aware of."

"I haven't, mother" Miho reassured her. "Yusei is my first, and the only boy I will ever desire to be with." She spoke up for her young man, deciding to make the couples' feelings clear. "We're deeply in love, Okāsan. We want to be together for the rest of our lives."

"Hontou ni? You have decided on this so soon?"

"Hai!" Yusei nodded. "You may be concerned that we haven't known each other for a long time like some couples have, Nishizumi-sensei. And perhaps rightfully so. But I know without any doubt in my heart that your daughter Miho is the only girl I will ever love."

"I see. And you, Miho? You harbor the same feelings towards him?"

"Hai! I certainly do! I found my true soulmate in my Yusei, Mother. I do hope you will appreciate just how strongly I care about him."

The woman sat in silence for a brief time before instructing her male guest, "Yusei-chan, you may now wait in the hallway while Miho and I continue our conversation. Close the door after you leave."

"Of course." The boy stood, bowed deeply again then left the room, sliding the shoji tightly closed behind him.

"Does he meet your expectations, Okāsan? Yusei is a very sweet and kind boy. Always thoughtful towards me, and respectful too."

"We'll continue that discussion at a later date, Miho. Your acquisition of a boyfriend is not the reason I requested your presence here today."

"It isn't?"

"No." The elder Nishizumi looked her daughter straight in the eyes. "I want you to rejoin Kuromorimine and take full command of our Sensha-do teams."

The woman's stunning request hit Miho like a bombshell. " _Nani?_ But what about Maho? That's _her_ job!"

"It no longer is. She not only allowed Kuromorimine to be defeated in the National Tournament, but when graciously given a second chance to redeem herself and prove her worth, continued to disappoint me by squandering her advantage in armor and losing yesterday's match as well. A match that she should by any conceivable measure have _decisively_ won. I therefore no longer consider Maho an acceptable leader, and have told her this in no uncertain terms."

Miho gasped, " _You have relieved Maho of her duties as overall commander?"_

"That is correct, Miho." The woman frowned, "'Frankly, I do not care if she ever sets foot in a tank again. The shame she has brought upon the family name is simply unforgivable."

" _But she has led her teams to victory in so many battles and won-"_

Her mother silenced her with an abrupt wave of her hand. " _Enough!_ Maho abandoned our family's time-tested Kuramorimine doctrine during the match against Ooarai and Pravda, instead choosing to divide her tanks and attack your forces piecemeal. Something she undoubtedly learned from you, Miho. Unfortunately, your sister was obviously unable to achieve success using your flawed technique, and the end result has sealed her fate."

Miho's mind reeled at the thought of her older sister being so callously tossed aside, her future discarded like nothing more than an empty shell casing. "Then... why do you want me back and in charge if you disapprove of my style of Sensha-do, Okāsan?"

"You would of course be required to abandon your newfound ways, and return to the practice of the feminine art as it has been performed by our family for many generations. That I must insist upon."

"And if I refuse your request to return to Kuromorimine?"

"That would be most unwise, daughter. You would likely find yourself quickly removed from any further studies at Ooarai Girls Academy."

"You're asking me to turn my back on all the wonderful friends I've made there, Mother? I could _never_ do that!"

"Your _friends?_ Such feelings are completely irrelevant and foolish, Miho. Tell me, would you be happy attending an even lesser school than Ooarai, one that has a poor academic standing and no Sensha-do program at all? And there is also the small matter of your boyfriend. It would be rather difficult to maintain a lasting friendship, romantic or otherwise, when you and he are unable to see each other, would it not?"

The brown-haired girl's face paled, Miho scarcely believing what she had just heard her mother imply. "You would even interfere in my relationship with Yusei? With our dream of a happy future together?"

"On the contrary, I would encourage it" the woman briefly smiled. "But only if you accept my generous offer."

Miho thought of all the dear friends she had at Ooarai, and the love she felt for the young man waiting patiently for her in the hallway. "I... I don't think I can..."

Her mother folded her hands upon the table, signaling the end of their meeting. "You have three days to make a decision, Miho. Seventy-two hours from now. If I have not received an appropriate answer from you after this time, you may consider my offer permanently withdrawn. And face the consequences of your decision alone."

Miho's eyes began to shimmer, becoming moist with tears. "I can not believe you're forcing me to choose between our family's Sensha-do tradition and my own personal happiness. I just _can't."_

"One final point, Miho. Do bear in mind that although Maho is now barred from any further participation in Kuromorimine's Sensha-do program, at least your sister still has a distinguished school to attend. You may soon find yourself in a far less fortunate position... so my advice to you is to choose your future path in life carefully and wisely. Unlike Maho, with you there will be no second chance."

. . . . .


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Negotiations**

Taking Yusei's hand in hers, Miho slowly and silently walked from the house towards her parked car, her mind still reeling from the conversation with her mother. Noticing her sister beside the front gate where she stood staring at passing traffic, Miho told her boyfriend, "Please wait for me in the car, Yusei. I need to talk to Maho for a few minutes."

"Sure, my love" her boy nodded. "Take all the time you need."

Miho walked up to the gate, standing behind the older girl, her hands trembling.

Maho had heard her approach and spun around. "So... when are you moving back home? I suppose you'll need a few days to pack your belongings and say goodbye to your classmates on the Zuikaku."

"I'm not coming back, Maho. Kuromorimine isn't my life anymore, and this isn't my home. It hasn't been since that day I abandoned my tank to try to help the team when their Tiger slid into the river. And I certainly don't want to replace you. To be honest, I don't think I ever could."

"Our mother will make your life a living hell if you don't agree to assume command. Just like she has done with mine."

"Maybe she will. Unless we can reestablish your position as overall Sensha-do commander of Kuromorimine. And somehow, I'll find a way."

Maho shook her head. "Impossible, Miho. You heard what Mother said. I'm finished with Panzerfahren."

" _No you're not!"_ Miho reached out and hugged her sister as tears began sliding down her cheeks. "I will not allow our mother to ruin both of our lives just because of what happened in our last two battles! It isn't fair to either of us!"

The older Nishizumi sister returned her sibling's hug. "Well... if you can produce a miracle, because that's what it will take..." Maho's eyes also began misting up. "If you can do that, I will be forever in your debt, Miho. But what can possibly change her mind?"

"I'll think of something" the brown-haired girl vowed. "Please trust me."

Maho smiled despite the deep despair that filled her heart. "I do trust you. It may not seem like it sometimes but I always have."

Miho dabbed her cheeks dry. "See you again soon, ok? Yusei and I been invited out to dinner tonight in Nagasaki by some of my close friends from school."

"Hai. Have a safe trip back."

As Miho began walking towards the car, Maho added, "By the way... I think your boyfriend is really cute. You're very lucky to have found him."

Her sister turned and smiled back, "Arigatou, Maho. I think so too."

. . . . .

Miho began the lengthy trek back to Nagasaki by aggressively pushing the tiny car to its modest top speed as she drove along the expressway. "I need to get us away from here" she murmured. "Far away from my mother and her cruel wishes. As fast and as far as we can possibly get."

"You're obviously really upset about something" her boyfriend softly spoke. "Did she disapprove of our relationship? Or... of me?"

"No, that isn't the problem, Yusei. I think she likes you."

"Hontou? Then what's troubling you so, my love? Is there anything I can do to help?"

Miho sighed deeply, reigning in her emotions and slowing the little car to the speed limit. "I've been given an ultimatum. No matter what path I choose, I'll still lose. And so will my sister." She told the stunned teen what had transpired after he had left the room. "My mother is even using you as a hostage, darling. Unfortunately for us, she has many connections among those who control our lives aboard our school ships. More than enough to keep us far apart if I don't submit to her awful demands."

"This is horrible!" her boyfriend exclaimed. "Why can't she appreciate your incredible achievements at Ooarai? She should be proud of you! Is your mother really that jealous, just because you and your teams beat her school in battle?"

"It certainly sounds that way, doesn't it? I tried my best to make Ooarai a competitive Sensha-do school, but as far as my mother is concerned it was all for nothing. A complete waste of everyone's time. The only solution now is to convince her that Maho is still the first and best choice to lead Kuromorimine. But how can I change her mind?"

"I wish I knew" Yusei wistfully replied. "Yukari and all your other crew members always say how you're the best commander in Sensha-do. And I know it isn't idle boasting because you truly are, my darling. Perhaps your mother finally realized it too, and that's why she wants you back."

Miho blushed, "That's very sweet of you, my Yusei. But I still think Maho is far better at commanding tanks than me."

"It's too bad you can't prove it to your mother. But I suppose the only way to do that would be to lose to Maho in your next battle against her."

Miho suddenly gasped, "My Yusei! That's a _fantastic_ idea! Arigatou!"

"It is?"

"Hai! You're a genius!" Miho promptly steered the Daihatsu onto an approaching highway exit. "I'm turning around and going back to see her again!"

"Why?"

"To make her a counter-offer!"

. . . . .

Miho entered the house alone this time, hurrying down the hall and sliding the office door open. "Okāsan? May we talk more?"

The woman looked up in surprise from some papers she had been signing. "You've made your decision already, Miho? Did your boyfriend finally talk some common sense into you? Or are you about to ruin your life?"

The sixteen-year-old girl walked over and sat on the floor. "I still think Maho should be Kuromorimine's commander, and I believe there's a good way to prove it to you. Please hear me out."

The woman set her pen down and sat back. "Oh? You may continue."

"Hai. I propose a duel. A one-on-one battle between Maho and me. Just our two tanks, here on Kuromorimine's practice grounds. If I win, I'll assume command as you wish. But if Maho wins, you reinstate her and allow me to return to Ooarai with no strings attached."

"You think I am a _fool_ , Miho?" her mother angrily asked. "You and your sister would undoubtedly fix the outcome of this so-called duel beforehand to ensure you lose it. This staged skirmish you propose would accomplish nothing."

"With only two tanks involved, there would be no need for radio operators, Okāsan. So I would ask you to occupy that seat in my tank and ride along during the match to evaluate my performance. If you honestly think I'm not trying my hardest to win, you can call a halt to the duel and declare me the winner. Isn't that what you want? All that I ask is that you remain fair and impartial in your decision making, nothing more."

"I see."

"We could hold it tomorrow" Miho continued. "And to ensure the fight is evenly matched, I'll agree to command a Tiger just like Maho's tank instead of my weaker Panzer IV."

Her mother frowned. "Unacceptable. Though your idea is not without some merit, Miho, I see no reason why I should give you such an obvious loophole to escape from what should be your rightful destiny."

"I've already made my decision, Okāsan. If you do not agree to my idea, I will refuse your demands and return to my classes at Ooarai until you find a way to have me expelled."

"Then you will lose everything. Your school, your friends, and most likely your boyfriend as well." She gestured at the papers on the table. "I have already signed a formal request to have your studies terminated at Ooarai. I will forward them by courier to the appropriate authorities aboard the Zuikaku first thing tomorrow morning."

"And then what?" Miho prodded. "Who will lead Kuromorimine if neither Maho or I do?"

"Erika will. She's a very ambitious girl and despite what happened during yesterday's match, still a reasonably competent commander. I'm sure she would be more than happy to move up in rank."

"Then you will also lose, Mother. Because for the first time in the history of Kuromorimine Girls Academy, a Nishizumi girl will not be in charge on the battlefield. Doesn't that bother you? Wouldn't it tarnish the reputation of Kuromorimine to have someone else calling the shots instead of a family member?"

Having played her final card, Miho held her breath awaiting her mother's reply.

The woman across the table remained silent for a brief time, picking up the papers and idly flipping through them. "Hai. It would" she finally admitted. "That possibility did not occur to me, as I had assumed you would respect and obey my wishes without any of these theatrics."

"Then you'll agree to the duel?"

"Under several conditions" Miho's mother relented. She held up an index finger. "Condition one: If there is no winner after an agreed-upon period of time, Maho automatically loses the match. Which of course means you become Kuromorimine's overall commander."

"Ok" Miho agreed.

"Condition two: You will operate your Tiger using the same experienced crew you had under your command when you were last here."

"That sounds fair" her daughter nodded.

"And one final condition... who is the least experienced crew among your current school's teams? Isn't it the girls who operate your other Panzer IV?"

"Uh... that's right, Okāsan. Luna team has been with Ooarai for just a few weeks. None of its members had any prior experience with Sensha-do before then."

"Then Maho will operate her tank with the gunner, driver and loader from this Luna team under her command."

"But they've never used a Tiger before!" Miho objected. "It handles and fights differently than their smaller Panzer! That could place Maho at a serious disadvantage!"

"You think so? If what you say is in fact true and Maho is still intelligent enough to retain her position at Kuromorimine, it shouldn't be a problem for her. I trust these girls of yours are at least somewhat competent?"

"Well... they would probably need a little time to become familiar with a Tiger's unique characteristics before the battle begins."

"Very well. I will allow them ninety minutes of practice time before the match starts. But not a second more than that." She dropped the papers onto the table. "Those are my conditions, daughter. Take it or leave it."

"Arigatou, Okāsan" Miho smiled. "I gratefully accept."

. . . . .


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: An Evening with Friends**

The Nagasaki city bus eased to a stop with a sharp hiss from its brakes, the door pivioting open to allow ten teenage girls to disembark. Kino Makoto glanced around the unfamiliar area. "Looks like a nice neighbourhood. Just how swanky is this restaurant we're going to, Minako-chan?"

The blonde standing beside her replied, "According to what Kay told me, it's supposed to be really fancy, Mako-chan, with excellent cuisine. It's the best restaurant in town that doesn't have a strict dress code, so we can dine there in our school uniforms."

"That's good" the brunette chuckled. "My evening gown and high heels are sitting in a closet an awfully long way from here."

"Where are our guys, Minako-sensei?" Yukari asked. "I'm more excited about having dinner with my Ryoto than anything! Even another Sensha-do match!"

"The understatement of the day" Mako smiled. "I assume you're even more impatient to start the week you'll be sharing with him at Makoto's house, Yukari."

The curly-haired girl grinned, "You bet, Mako! I can't wait! Don't you feel the same way about being together with Toshiro? For... you know... Phase Three?" she giggled.

"Of course I do" Mako softly murmured. "I'm ecstatic. Can't you tell?"

"With you it's kinda hard to know sometimes" the Anglerfish loader laughed.

"I think we're all excited about spending an entire week together with our boyfriends, Yukari" Miho giggled. "Usagi-san, I hope that the future you can work your special magic to make it happen soon."

"I will, Miho-san!" Usagi nodded. "At least I hope I will! But first things first! Minna, it's dinnertime and I can taste that yummy food already! It's making my mouth water!"

"Hai, I guess we should find the restaurant before poor starving Usagi starts drooling all over her fuku top" Rei teased the perpetually-hungry blonde.

"For your information, I do _not_ drool!" Usagi snapped at the raven-haired girl. "That wouldn't be a very queenly way to behave, now would it?"

"You've never done a single queenly thing in your life" the miko retorted. "So why start now?"

"Shut up, Rei-chan! You're not spoiling my appetite, so stop trying!"

"Getting run over by a tank wouldn't spoil _your_ appetite."

" _Ohh! Miserable!"_

"They're at it again!" Saori laughed. "Minako-san, where's the restaurant? All I see here are upscale clothing boutiques and hair salons."

"It's down a side street not far from our bus stop, Saori-san" Minako spoke. She reached into her purse and produced a folded slip of paper. "I even wrote down the exact address so we won't get lost. Minna, isn't it great how I always think of _everything?"_

"Thank heavens for those directions" Makoto muttered. "If we had to count on Minako's rotten navigation skills to find the place, we'd end up wandering around Nagasaki until dawn, carrying Usagi because she would've passed out from starvation."

The blonde silently scowled at her future sister-in-law, then checked her watch. "The boys should already be waiting for us there, Yukari-san. As per my oh-so-precise instructions of course! So after Miho gives the order, everyone follow me!"

"The order?" the Anglerfish commander puzzled. "Um... let's eat?"

"Not _that_ order!" Minako giggled. "The _other_ one that gets everyone moving!"

"Oh! _Now_ I know!" Miho smiled. "Minna... _Panzer Vor!"_

Rei smirked at Usagi, "Which today actually translates into 'Let's watch odango-atama charge headlong into the restaurant like a runaway Panzer and devour every crumb of food in sight'. Try not to eat the napkins this time, Usagi-chan."

" _Ohh!_ Just for that, I hope you get heartburn from your dinner, Rei-chan!" Usagi fumed. "The teasing I have to put up with from you sometimes! It's beyond ridiculous!"

As the group fell in line behind the fast-walking bubbly blonde, Miho told them, "Minna, I have something to discuss with everyone after our meal. It involves an event that'll be happening tomorrow."

"Something important, Miho?" her gunner asked. "Can't you tell us now?"

"Not yet, Hana. I don't want to ruin the mood when we're together with our boyfriends, or spoil everyone's appetite. But I will say that it mostly involves Rei, Ami, Minako and me. And Maho and... my mother Shiho too." The brown-haired girl forced herself to smile, trying her best to remain upbeat.

"Your _mother?"_ Ami gasped. "That sounds somewhat ominous, Miho-san. And possibly... rather serious?"

"Hai. It is."

. . . . .

Having found the correct address, Minako lead the parade of teenage girls inside the restaurant. "Konnichiwa! Aino party of ten to join five cute guys!" she announced to the well-dressed man at the reception desk. "They should already be waiting for us in the private party room I booked."

"Hai, I have your reservation, Aino-san. Please follow me." The maître d' briskly guided the girls toward a doorway at the far end of the busy dining room. "Your other guests are inside" he gestured. "A server will be along momentarily to take your drink orders." He added in French, "Bon appétit."

Usagi grinned at him. "Hai! And _bone appetite_ to you too!"

Rei stared in disbelief at the odango-haired girl. "Baka! He means enjoy your meal, you unsophisticated imbecile! Don't you know even one common foreign expression?"

" _Hush up, Rei-chan!"_

The girls entered the room to find a large oval table with a group of smiling, happy teenage males already seated at it. The boys leapt from their chairs and hurried around the table into their girlfriends' tender embraces.

Makoto politely averted her gaze as surprisingly passionate kisses ensued among the five young couples. "I _really_ miss my Yuji" the brunette groaned as she sat down. "Being away from him for so long is the only thing I hate about coming here, Ami-chan."

"Hai. It is a rather difficult burden to bear, Mako-chan." Ami chose the chair to Makoto's left. "I can't help but wonder what our guys are doing now."

"I bet they're sitting around the house feeling really bored!" Minako chimed in. "My Taro must be so unimaginably lonely without me! But I'll make it up to him when we go home. Will I _ever!"_ she giggled. "My love muffin isn't getting any sleep _at all_ that night!"

"Hai, I'm sure you will make it up to him" Rei muttered. "In ways I couldn't _begin_ to imagine, Momma Minako."

. . . . .

At the old house on the outskirts of Nerima, the males in question were still chatting about Ooarai's latest victory in the battle they had watched earlier that day. "I have to admit, the situation looked grim for Miho during most of the match" Yuuichirou remarked between sips of coffee. "I had serious doubts about her winning against her sister and those monster tanks Kuromorimine has."

"You mean the tanks they _had_ , Yuuichirou-chan" Yuji corrected the Shinto apprentice with a chuckle. "They're all shot up now!"

Mamoru agreed, "It was definitely a white-knuckle affair for me as well, Yuuichirou-chan. I'm glad that Luna team held up their end for Miho. In fact, every Ooarai crew did an outstanding job. I'm very proud of all the girls, and the skillful way they handled their machines in battle. Oh, which reminds me, there's something in the trunk of my car that I found at a hobby shop. I'll go get it."

After Mamoru had left the house, Ryo mused, "It's too bad Haruka and Michiru were called back to Tokyo by Sailor Pluto. I'm sure they would've preferred to be here to congratulate our fiancees when they return home later tonight."

"Hai. I was wondering what that was about too, Ryo-chan" Yuji nodded. "I guess it's just another one of Setsuna's infamously cryptic messages."

Usagi's fiancee strode back into the living room with a small bag and a larger rectangular box in hand. "Minna, I'm looking for a few good modelmakers! Any volunteers?"

Taro eyed the box. "That's a model kit of a Panzer IV! And it looks just like Luna team's tank!"

'Hai!" Ryo added. "It's the short-barreled Ausf.D version with the twelve-cylinder Maybach HL120 engine and the KwK 37 L/24 gun!"

"Way too much information there, Ryo-chan" Yuuichirou chuckled. "You must've been studying all about tanks in your free time since Ami went back to Ooarai."

"Hai" the boy blushed. "I have. It helps me feel closer to her while she's away."

"There _is_ some assembly required" Mamoru grinned, placing the box, two tubes of glue and several small vials of paint on the coffee table. "Think we can put it together before our lovely young ladies return home?"

"Absolutely! The girls will love it, Mamoru-san!" Taro picked up the kit and began tearing the clear plastic wrap off the box. "We'll start right away. Ok guys, let's get to work!"

"Sure thing, Indiana!" his brother grinned. "Crack that whip! Or... is that Minako's job?"

Taro's cheeks blushed red. "That's none of your business, Yuji-chan."

. . . . .

"Kay wasn't kidding when she said this was a good restaurant!" Usagi beamed from behind a large empty plate. "Everything I ordered was delicious! But I noticed you didn't eat much tonight, Miho-san. Aren't you hungry after that big battle?"

"I've got a lot on my mind, Usagi-san. Minna, after everyone has dessert I'll tell you all about what's planned for tomorrow."

"About time! The suspense is killing me, Miporin!" Saori exclaimed. The ginger-haired girl pointed at a a picture in the menu she and her guy held. "I think I'd like to try the cheesecake, Yosuke, but it looks like a really big serving. Would you mind splitting it with me?"

"I'd love to, sweetheart." Her boyfriend smiled, "A sweet dessert for the sweet, beautiful young lady I'm so madly in love with."

"And I love _you_ , my darling" the Anglerfish radio operator cooed back, her light brown eyes sparkling in the flickering candlelight.

The couple leaned closer together then kissed again, causing the brunette seated across the table from them to sigh, then groan "Oh please, you two! You're acting just like Taro and Minako!"

The blonde beside her laughed, "And you're dreaming of your lover boy even _more_ now, aren't you Mako-chan?"

Makoto grumbled, "Minako-chan, with all the kissing and cuddling going on here tonight, can you blame me?"

. . . . .

"These tank tracks were really fiddly to put together, but I've almost got it" Yuuichirou muttered, sitting hunched over the coffee table and carefully cementing the last segment in place. "And with glue all over my fingers it was even harder!"

"The turret is done, Taro-chan" Ryo announced, placing his completed subassembly on the table. "Except for the gun and the school emblems. We should probably wait to paint those on until the tank is fully assembled."

"Arigatou, Ryo-chan. The bottom section is nearly complete too" Taro said, his brow furrowed in concentration as he gently attached one of the tiny covered headlights to the front of the hull with a pair of tweezers. "Another ten minutes or so and the model will be ready to paint." He looked up from his work at Usagi's fiancee walking out from the kitchen, a puzzled expression on Mamoru's face. "May I ask what Setsuna called about, Mamoru-san? Was it regarding our girls?"

"She didn't mention the girls, Taro-chan. She phoned from a gas station in Nerima where Haruka had to stop for fuel. They should arrive in few more minutes."

"Did she say why she's coming or why she's in such a big rush to get here?"

"Hai. That's the interesting part. Setsuna said she'll be meeting an older male acquaintance of hers here at the house for an important conversation. But she wouldn't tell me anything more."

"Oh? Anyone we know, Mamoru-san?" Yuji asked.

"Apparently not." Mamoru sat on the floor and finished assembling the model Panzer's gun barrel and its mount. "Setsuna told me that if he should arrive before she does, I'm supposed to have him wait for her in the dining room. And not ask too many questions." He chuckled, "She was even more cryptic and vague than she usually is about _this_ particular meeting, if you can believe it."

"With Sailor Pluto, that's saying a lot!" Yuuichirou briefly looked up from his work and grinned. "Finally! There's the second track put together. _Aghh! It's stuck to my sticky fingers again!"_

"Let me help pry it loose, Yuuichirou-chan." While Taro worked to free the track from the apprentice's glue-smeared hand with his tweezers, the boys heard a muffled knock on the kitchen door.

"I assume our mystery guest has arrived" Mamoru spoke, handing the Panzer's now finished gun to Ryo. "It's even more odd that he turned up at the back door of the house." The university student hurried off to greet their guest, pondering who Setsuna could possibly be meeting out in the quiet countryside instead of at her Tokyo apartment.

. . . . .


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Further Revelations**

At the restaurant, Miho had just informed her friends about what had transpired during the fateful meeting with her mother. "Minna, now you know why I didn't want to mention this until after dinner" she sighed. "My future, and Maho's as well, depends on what happens tomorrow."

"I can't _believe_ this!" Makoto steamed. "Breaking up close friendships with everyone and trying to wreck your relationship with Yusei too? Your mother is really something else, Miho-san. And I'm sorry, but I don't mean that in a nice way!"

Yukari angrily added, "You have to let your sister _beat you in battle,_ Nishizumi-dono? So you can stay with us at Ooarai and keep seeing your boyfriend? Minako-sensei is right to be so upset! _That's_ _too cruel!"_

"I was lucky to convince my mother to agree to the duel, Yukari. If she had denied my request, I'd probably be spending tomorrow packing and waiting for orders to leave the Zuikaku. Only this time, I wouldn't be coming back."

"We'll do whatever it takes to keep you with us, Miho-san" Mako promised. "Maybe I can arrange to fall asleep at an inopportune moment. Or Hana will develop aiming issues with her gun."

Hana suggested, "Loading my weapon slower than you usually do would definitely give Maho's team an advantage, Yukari."

"Hai! I can do that!" the curly-haired girl agreed. "I could even fake a breech malfunction or drop a shell in the heat of battle!"

The Anglerfish commander gave her loader even more unpleasant news. "You won't be fighting alongside me during tomorrow's match, Yukari. Unfortunately, none of my team will."

Hana gasped, "We _won't?_ Then who will you be commanding, Miho?"

The brown-haired girl told her friends, "I'll be in charge of a Tiger I, and my mother insisted it be crewed by the same team I lead at Kuromorimine. Rest assured, those girls are highly motivated and they'll be playing to win. With my mother watching every move I make from the radio operator's seat, I'll have to be very convincing that I'm doing my utmost to win too. Finding the right balance will be a real challenge."

"Is your old crew better than your sister's team, Miho-san?" Rei asked, deeply saddened by the unfortunate news. "Perhaps Maho's gunner will get in a lucky shot or two and you won't have to worry so much about deliberately trying to lose the match."

"Maho won't be commanding her regular team either, Rei-san. It's yet another of my mother's conditions. You'll be Maho's loader tomorrow, and Minako and Ami will be her driver and gunner." She apologized to the brunette across the table, "Sumimasen, Makoto-san. You and Usagi will be sitting this one out."

" _Nani?_ We have no experience with Tigers, Miho-san!" the miko objected. "None at all!"

"Mother is definitely trying to stack the deck against me by insisting Maho's tank be crewed by girls from my least experienced team." Miho smiled, "I'm fortunate that she doesn't realize just how skilled at Sensha-do all of you have become."

" _Unbelievable!"_ Makoto scowled, her anger reaching full boil. "Your mother is doing everything she can think of to handicap your sister before the match even starts! And now I'm supposed to cheer for _Maho_ to win? That arrogant little know-it-all with the big chip on her shoulder who said all that nasty stuff to you before the start of our last match?"

"I'm afraid so. It's not something you ever thought you'd do, is it? But it's my only chance to stay at Ooarai and live a happy life with Yusei, Makoto-san. And in Maho's defence, she may be a very strict and demanding tank commander, and sometimes acts like she hates me, but she honestly isn't as bad as you think she is. I realize now how much pressure she was under to win yesterday's battle, and that likely contributed a lot to her unpleasant mood."

Ami looked up from her coffee cup. "Minako and Rei and I will certainly give it our very best, Miho-san. We'll follow your sister's orders as accurately and efficiently as we possibly can."

Minako nodded, "Hai, absolutely we will! Normally I'd be really excited now about driving a big powerful Tiger, but now that I know what's happening tomorrow, I only feel mad!" She made a fist and thumped it firmly against the tabletop. "Really _really_ mad!"

"You said the radio operator's seat in Maho's tank will be vacant, Miho-san" Makoto spoke. "Could you arrange for me to ride along? I promise to keep my mouth shut and not interfere with your sister's command decisions, but if she steps too far out of line and gives anyone on my Luna team a bad time, I'll straighten her out damned fast!"

"I'll ask my mother if she'll permit it" Miho replied. "I can't see why not."

"I never thought I'd hear myself speak these words, my sweet beautiful Miho" Yusei softly spoke to his girl. "And it hurts so much to say this, but... I hope you lose." He slipped an arm around her and held her close, his voice choked with emotion. "Win or lose, I promise I'll always be there for you, my love. If I have to wait weeks or even years to see you again, I will. I love you with all my heart."

Saori's eyes were wet with bitter tears. "Please don't leave us, Miporin! _Please!"_

Rei turned to ask the girl sitting quietly beside her, "Is there anything _you_ can do, Usagi-chan? The future you, I mean? We can't let Miho win that match. There's so much at stake!"

The blonde shook her head. "Not this time, Rei-chan" Usagi murmured. "Whatever happens tomorrow is completely out of my hands."

Despite the heaviness weighing upon her, Miho tried her best to make light of the situation, smiling as she teased her teammates. "Minna, if my team wins the duel and I end up back in my old position at Kuromorimine, maybe Maho will enroll at Ooarai and take over as Anglerfish commander. She could even bring Erika with her for company. Wouldn't _that_ be funny!"

Yukari gasped in horror, her dark brown eyes sprung wide. She reached out and clutched Miho's arm. "Nishizumi-dono, don't you _ever_ say such a terrible thing _ever again!"_

. . . . .

Mamoru strode across the kitchen and opened the back door of Makoto's house to find a middle-aged man waiting outside. The visitor was dressed in black pants and a thick grey long-sleeved t-shirt with a pattern of three concentric circles on its left front, and was holding a triangular-shaped metal box in one hand. Usagi's fiancee noted that the newcomer was not Japanese, but instead appeared vaguely of western descent. He stood somewhat taller than his host beneath a crop of short dark brown hair.

"Konnichiwa" Mamoru bowed, and the man bowed deeply in return. "You must be the visitor Setsuna is expecting."

"Uh... hai! Meiou Setsuna" he smiled, speaking hesitantly as though he knew very little Nihongo. "Ah... Chiba... Mamoru?"

Mamoru was taken aback to hear his name mentioned, having never met the man before. "Hai. Watashi wa Chiba Mamoru desu." He gave the new arrival a warm smile, stepped away from the door and gestured inside. "Dōzo haitte kudasai."

"Domo arigatou."

The man followed Mamoru into the house, pulling off his low-cut black boots before silently accompanying the teen to the living room. Upon spying four other teenage boys staring inquisitively at him from the sofa, his smile widened and he wordlessly bowed to them as well.

On a hunch, Mamoru switched to the only other language he was remotely competent in. "Please excuse my asking. Do you... speak English?"

"I do." The stranger appeared relieved to hear the familiar phrase. "I apologize for my lack of understanding of your native tongue, Chiba-san."

"Ah. No problem. Setsuna will be here very soon. You may wait for her in the dining room."

"Of course."

The man entered the room and sat at the table, placing the box on the floor beside him. Mamoru partially closed the dining room door and returned to his friends.

"I hope Setsuna doesn't keep our guest waiting" he grinned at Taro. "My English isn't what it should be. Actually, it's brutal."

"Mine's even worse!" Taro chuckled. "I have no idea what you just said to him." He discreetly lowered his voice. "So Setsuna's friend is a foreigner... that's interesting."

"Indeed it is" Mamoru murmured. "I've met exchange students from many western and European countries during my studies at the university, but I can't pin down his nationality. Or his odd accent either. He definitely isn't American, or English" he mused. "Very strange..."

. . . . .

The solemn group of teens left the restaurant a short while later and walked to the nearest bus stop, dreading what the coming day might bring. "I'm sorry to say this my love, but we guys need to catch the next bus back to Kumamoto" Yusei said. "I wish we could be together longer, but our ship has a really strict curfew."

"I understand, darling" Miho nodded. "Ours does too." The Anglerfish girls stood on the sidewalk, tenderly embracing their loved ones one final time. "I'll miss you, my Yusei" Miho softly spoke to her young man. "With every dream I dream and every breath I take."

"We can't watch your private duel tomorrow, but we'll be waiting for you outside your parents' home when it's all over. The very best of luck, my sweet." The two love-struck teens kissed deeply and tenderly, as did the other couples, before they reluctantly parted ways.

The Ooarai girls caught a different bus back towards the port and their gigantic moored school ship. "Minna, after we board the Zuikaku let's go to my apartment" Miho suggested. "I have a training manual for Tiger I and II tanks hiding in a box somewhere. If I can find it, it should help familiarize you with the differences between them and our Panzer IVs."

Ami smiled, "That's an excellent idea, Miho-san. I want my gunnery to be nothing less than absolutely perfect tomorrow. Even though it means I'll be shooting at a dear friend, and not just for practice this time."

"I want that too, Ami-san. In the meantime, since we're stuck here on this bus for a while, let's talk about the best way to kill my Tiger."

. . . . .

The front door swung open and Setsuna hurried into the house, with Haruka following close on her heels. "Ohayou, minna. Is he here yet?"

Mamoru pointed to the dining room. "Your guest arrived a minute ago, Setsuna-san. He definitely isn't fluent in Japanese, but he does speak English reasonably well."

"We won't be using either, Mamoru-san. I'm familiar with his native language." Without saying anything more, she promptly entered the dining room and firmly shut the door behind her.

After a short period of silence, the teens heard faint laughter ensue from inside the closed room. "Sounds like they're getting along nicely. How I'd love to be a fly on the wall in there!" Yuuichirou exclaimed. "Curiosity is definitely getting the better of me today!"

"I wonder what's inside that strange box he was carrying?" Ryo pondered aloud.

Yuji joked, "Maybe he's a door-to-door travelling salesman, Ryo-chan, and is offering Setsuna a killer deal on a fancy new clock or something."

"If my Minako was here, I know how she'd find out" Taro chuckled. "She does this trick where she holds a drinking glass up against the wall to hear what's happening on the other side."

"Hontou? Rei does that too" Yuuichirou grinned. The apprentice shrugged, "I suppose we can always ask Setsuna about him after her meeting is over and he leaves."

"And you honestly think she'll tell you?" Haruka snickered. "Good luck with that." She sat in her chair and carefully picked up the assembled model, examining it closely. "Minna, nice tank you've put together. It looks exactly like our girls' Panzer."

"It's all done except for the Ooarai school crest and Luna team emblems, Haruka-san" Yuji told the girl. "We have paint, but we're all too afraid to try coloring them on in case we mess it up."

"Oh? Mind if I try my hand at it?"

"Please do!" Mamoru urged the tall blonde. "You're by far the most artistic person in the house, Haruka-san. There are some days when I have enough trouble drawing a straight line!"

. . . . .

Forty-five minutes later, the dining room door opened and Setsuna emerged with her male visitor, leaving the box he had brought in the dining room. The man noticed the model tank sitting in the center of the coffee table, now accurately adorned with the correct school and team emblems, and stepped closer for a better look.

The teens were collectively stunned into speechlessness when he smiled and spoke "Panzer Vor!" before bowing to them again and turning away.

With a knowing smile, Setsuna escorted him to the back door and bid her guest goodbye, speaking to him in English, then returned to the waiting teens. "Minna, that went exceptionally well."

Yuuichirou leapt to his feet, blurting " _Panzer Vor?_ _He knows about Miho? And Sensha-do too, Setsuna-san?"_

"He is somewhat familiar with it, Yuuichirou-chan" the greenish-haired young woman cryptically replied.

Haruka chuckled, "Sets old girl, you can't leave us hanging like this! Who _was_ that guy? We don't even know his name!"

"I can't go into much detail about him, Haruka. At least not at the present time."

"Of course you can! At least give us _something!"_ the blonde pleaded.

Setsuna hesitated for a moment before deciding, "I believe I can safely tell you one thing. Minna, do you recall a rather misty evening not long ago, when Hotaru came to the house to collect her Silence Glaive?"

"The weapon that was delivered by the huge spaceship that my Ami's Mercury computer indicated was hovering above Mako-chan's back yard?" Ryo asked in awe. "But it was way too powerful to measure? The same one Haruka said she heard but couldn't see because of all the thick fog? Hai, I _definitely_ remember that night!" The boy gasped, "Are you implying he had something to do with it, Setsuna-san?"

"I am. The glaive was as you said brought here by a spacecraft from another world, Ryo-chan. And you just met its captain."

. . . . .


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: A Room with a View**

Having rented a larger car for this fateful trip, Miho told her companions, "Minna, we're nearly there. Another ten minutes and we'll arrive at Koromorimine's practice ground. It's a few kilometers west of town, in a hilly area."

"I'm glad your mother agreed to let me tag along, Miho-san" Makoto spoke from the front passenger seat. She looked over her shoulder at the blue-haired girl sitting behind Miho. "You must have that Tiger manual completely memorized by now, Ami-chan. Think you can handle the bigger gun?"

"I'm sure I can" Ami confidently replied, looking up from the book she had been poring over, reading and committing to memory every page for nearly the entire drive to Kumamoto City. "I'd like to say I'm looking forward to this new experience, but... I'm honestly not, Mako-chan. I simply can't bear the thought of missing even one shot. Not today."

"Relax, Ami-chan" Minako said, sounding more confident that she felt. "You'll do great. And Rei and I will too! We'll knock out Miho's tank and save the day for her and her lover boy!"

"Um... Yusei isn't exactly my _lover_ , Minako-san" Miho spoke, a soft blush appearing on her cheeks. "At least... he isn't yet."

"We'll soon fix that issue too, Miho-san" the bubbly blonde insisted. "You and your Anglerfish team and your guys are just days away from experiencing Phase Three and all the pleasures that go with it! Maybe even hours!"

"I... hope so." Miho's blush deepened as she allowed herself a happy moment to dream of her Yusei and their upcoming first night of total intimacy, before reality intruded into her thoughts once more.

"I wonder how Maho feels about this duel" Makoto mused. "If we can pull this win off, she'd better be grateful to you for helping her take command of Kuromorimine's tanks again, Miho-san."

"I did talk to her on the phone for a few minutes before we left our ship this morning, Makoto-san. She sounded really nervous." Miho frowned, "That isn't like her at all. Maho always faces every Sensha-do battle with total confidence in her abilities." She pointed ahead, "Minna, this next exit is where we leave the highway. Is everyone ready for battle?"

"I'll break my speed record with every reload" Rei promised her friend. "Yukari gave me a few tips on how to be more efficient and improve my times. She truly has got it down to an art form."

"Yukari lives and breathes Sensha-do, Rei-san. She said the hours she spends in our Panzer are the happiest moments of her life. Or at least they were, before she and Ryoto met and fell in love."

"They do make a wonderful couple, Miho-san" Ami smiled. "Knowing how similar her boyfriend is to my fiancee, I'm quite sure they'll have a very happy and fulfilling life together, just as my Ryo and I do. In every way."

"If Ryoto is anything like your lover boy in intimate ways, I'm sure they will too!" Minako giggled. "But you already know that, Ami-chan."

"Hai, Minako-chan" the blue-haired girl blushed, her smile growing wider. "I certainly do."

. . . . .

Setsuna looked at the expectant faces of the teenage boys who were clustered around her, feeling as though she was being interrogated like a captured spy. "As I said before, I'm not at liberty to divulge much more about my acquaintance, Haruka. Some things are best left-"

"Left unsaid. Hai, we've heard it all before, Sets" Haruka spoke from her chair. "But something _this_ big... you honestly can't expect us to just forget about it."

"No... I suppose not" the young woman sighed. "There are a few more details I can talk about. But you must all promise me never to speak of this to anyone outside of our circle. _Ever_."

"My lips are sealed" the tall blonde grinned. "And the boys won't talk either, right guys?"

"Not a word of it!" Taro nodded solemnly. "Except to our fiancees if that's ok with you, Setsuna-san. We promise."

"Well... what would you like to know?"

"How about something basic to start? What's your friend's name, Setsuna-san?" the Shinto apprentice asked.

"I can't tell you that, Yuuichirou-chan."

"No? Then where is he from?" Yuji pressed. "Is it a country on another Earth?"

"I can't tell you that either, Yuji-chan."

"Hontou? Then what _can_ you tell us?" Haruka groaned. "I'm sure he knows all about the girls' secret identities as Sailor Senshi. So why can't we be on an equal footing here? After all, it's only fair."

"I was afraid this would happen" Setsuna murmured. "Then how about this? Would you like to see what the box he left me contains?"

" _Now_ we're talking!" Haruka grinned, clambering to her feet. "Minna, to the dining room!"

Needing no further encouragement, the teens bolted into the room, with Setsuna reluctantly following.

. . . . .

Miho braked the rental car to a smooth stop beside an imposingly-large structure and turned off its ignition. "Minna, this is the rear of Kuromorimine's primary tank hangar and workshop. My mother and Maho will no doubt be waiting for us at the other side where the bay doors are. We'll enter through that metal door in front us, pass between the tanks and meet them out in the assembly area."

"This place is _huge!"_ Makoto exclaimed after climbing out of the car. "It makes the tank hangar Ooarai has look like a chicken coop!"

"Very impressive, Miho-san!" Ami agreed. "Kuromorimine must operate a very substantial squadron of tanks!"

"They do, Ami-chan. Though not nearly as many as Saunders has."

The brown-haired girl lead her friends into the building, pausing when Minako gasped and pointed, "What's _that_ thing?"

"That's the Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus, Minako-chan. A very rare and powerful machine that's extremely deadly in the right hands."

 _"That's the giant tank from the anime?"_ the blonde gasped in awe. "It's an absolute monster! Mako-chan, it's nearly as big as your house!"

"That isn't too much of an exaggeration, Minako-chan. It looks a lot larger in real life than it did in the anime, and it was huge even there" the brunette replied. "I'm glad we aren't going up against it today!"

"The video you showed me was very factual in that regard, Makoto-san" Miho said. "It took a tremendous sacrifice by several Ooarai teams to disable it during the final round of the tournament." She smiled, "My crews performed exceptionally well that day. I'm so proud of them."

They walked on, passing a long row of neatly-parked Tigers and several Panthers, then a few Jagdpanzers, before exiting through a large open sliding door at the front of the building. "There's Maho and my mother" Miho gestured, her pulse quickening as a feeling of dread swept through her. "I'll formally introduce you, and then you'll be starting your practice session with Maho. You have ninety minutes to get familiar with your Tiger. And then..." Her voice faded as the gravity of the situation fully hit home.

"And then we'll beat you in battle, Miho-san" Makoto reassured her deeply worried friend. "And everything will be good in your world again."

"I hope so, Makoto-san" the brown-haired girl softly murmured. "For the sake of my friends at Ooarai and my future with Yusei, I do hope you're right."

. . . . .

Setsuna lifted the box onto one end of the dining table and removed its cover. "Minna, this is primarily a highly advanced communications device. It allows me to converse with any friendly spacecraft that happen to be in our solar system."

"Like a radio?" Taro asked, examining the triangular mechanism. "It sure doesn't look like one."

"You may think of it as such, Taro-chan. However, when it is linked to any of several robotic probes covertly orbiting our world, it is capable of doing very much more."

"Why are there alien satellites above us, Setsuna-san? Are they studying us?"

"They are constantly monitoring our world for any indication of a developing major crisis, Mamoru-san. Primarily the advent of regional or global nuclear war."

" _Nani?_ " Ryo exclaimed. "Do they expect that kind of trouble? I hope not!"

"My... um... friends have a strict policy of non-interference in the affairs of our planet, Ryo-chan. The only exception I'm aware of where they would step in would be to prevent such an attack from being successfully carried out. They have a similar system in place orbiting the Earths of several other dimensions as well."

"Incredible!" Mamoru spoke. "Why did they allow you access to their technology, Setsuna-san?"

"Because of your fiancee, Mamoru-san" she told the stunned university student. "Sending the girls to Miho's dimension and returning them home requires a vast amount of energy, and our future Queen Serenity caught them by surprise when she used the power of her Silver Crystal to do it during our relatively unadvanced time. This device will enable me to reassure them that any future transfers between dimensions were planned, and not the work of other possibly hostile beings."

"This is unbelievable" Yuji murmured, shaking his head.

Setsuna continued, "I haven't told you yet what else this device is capable of. Would you like a brief demonstration?"

"Is water wet?" Haruka chuckled. "Of course we would!"

The greenish-haired girl pressed a sequence of colored buttons imbedded around the periphery of the device, and a bright beam suddenly radiated out from it, covering the top of the dining room table with an amazingly clear and sharp three-dimensional view of Nerima as seen from high above. "I'm somewhat rusty, but I believe I can narrow and magnify the display." Setsuna ran two fingers across a flat section of its control panel and the view panned and zoomed inward to reveal a two-storey dwelling surrounded by open fields. "Look familiar?" she asked the boys with a smile.

 _"That's my Mako-chan's house!"_ Yuji gasped. _"And our girls' cars parked in the driveway! Is this for real?"_

"Very much real, Yuji-chan. And now for yet another interesting surprise." Setsuna made further adjustments and the image on the tabletop vanished, flickering back to life again after several seconds. "This is the same house, minna. But it isn't Makoto's home. What you are viewing now is this house as it exists in Miho's dimension, as captured by one of the probes orbiting high above her world. Due to various scientific limitations, any video from the other dimension is not displayed in real-time, but delayed by several minutes as it is transmitted from probe to probe between dimensions."

Mamoru pulled out a chair and sat upon it, his eyes fixated upon the image before him. "The implications of this are simply astonishing, Setsuna-san. There can be no other words to describe it."

"Now I understand why you were so hesitant to reveal this to us, Sets" Haruka spoke. "Just how long have you been friends with that man and his... group?"

"Two years, give or take. We met shortly after I again became Sailor Pluto and reactivated my Time Gate in our current lives." She thought for a moment, then manipulated the controls once more, changing the image until it came to rest on a section of Japan's south-easterly coastline. "And _this_ city, minna... this is Nagasaki. I believe it's where Miho mentioned Ooarai was scheduled to compete in their next Sensha-do match. The very match you witnessed on television earlier today."

"There's Miho's giant school ship!" Yuuichirou pointed excitedly. "It's docked right there in the harbour!"

"Indeed. The Zuikaku, if I recall."

"Can you find our girls on it, Setsuna-san?" Taro urged. "Please!"

"Highly unlikely, Taro-chan. They could be literally anywhere, possibly inside their classroom or in another building. In any event, I think you've witnessed more than enough for now."

She was about to power down the device, returning its image to a lower magnification level, when Ryo noted, "That looks like an even larger ship over near the end of the dining table. Please give us a closer look at it, Setsuna-san."

She did so, and the vessel soon revealed itself as the Graf Zeppelin, moored portside adjacent to Kumamoto City. "It's Kuromorimine's school ship!" Yuji exclaimed.

On a whim, Setsuna slowly panned the view west across the city until the urban sprawl ceased and the terrain began to appear more rugged. "Hmm... there seems to be a rather large isolated structure outside of town, possibly a warehouse" she murmured, increasing the magnification for a closer look. "Interesting. There are two tanks parked beside it, and a number of people standing nearby. I wonder..."

"Hold that picture and give us a close-up shot, Setsuna-san!" Haruka blurted, what remained of the blonde's usual calm and confident demeanour vanishing in an instant. "I'm sure those people are all female, and some of them are wearing what I'd wager are white and green school fuku!"

. . . . .

The teens of Luna team bowed deeply to the middle-aged woman standing beside one of the two parked Tigers. "It's an honour to meet you, Nishizumi-sensei" Makoto spoke on behalf of her crew, keeping her voice respectful and her intense distaste toward Miho's mother well hidden.

"Yes. Of course" the woman responded with a slight bow. She called out, "Maho, your temporary team members have arrived. You may begin your practice session now."

Maho emerged from beneath the open cupola hatch of the Tiger bearing the number 212 on its turret, and gracefully climbed down from the massive vehicle. After greeting Miho, she walked up to the other new arrivals. "Your names and crew positions, please" she asked them bluntly.

'Not even a friendly hello' Makoto thought while supressing a scowl. 'I can see _this_ day is going to be no fun at all.'

. . . . .


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Introductions**

"I'll start with you" Maho told the first Ooarai student in line. "What is your name and crew position?"

"Hai! I'm Aino Minako, Nishizumi-san" the bubbly blonde answered. "I'll be your driver today!"

"You will? What I need to know first and foremost is, are you any good at it?"

"I like to think so" Minako replied with a bright smile. "Really good, as a matter of fact!"

"We'll soon see about that, won't we?" Maho muttered, moving on to the next teen. "And you?"

"Hino Rei. Loader." The raven-haired girl pleasantly surprised Makoto with her curt reply.

Maho asked the raven-haired girl, "How rapidly can you eject the spent shell casing and reload the gun in your Panzer after it has fired? I assume you do take the trouble to time yourself."

"I do. My current average is just under four seconds, Nishizumi-san."

"I expect you to cut it to three seconds when you're crewing _my_ Tiger, Hino-san. That extra time you're wasting could cost us the match." Without waiting for Rei to answer, she turned expectantly to her third tempoary crewmember, a studious-looking blue-haired girl who came across to Maho as being the modest and shy type.

"Name and station?"

"My name is Mizuno Ami, Commander Nishizumi. I'm the gunner for Luna team's Panzer IV."

"You're my _gunner?_ " Maho exclaimed in mock surprise. She smirked, "You look more like a nerdy bookworm than a Panzer's gunner to me, Mizuno-san. No offence intended, of course."

Makoto felt her fingers beginning to curl into fists and her temper flaring, hoping Ami would stand up for herself after receiving such a rude remark.

"As a matter of fact, I _am_ a 'nerdy bookworm', Nishizumi-san" Ami proudly replied. "Who was credited in yesterday's match with four partial kills and two complete kills on your Blue team's tanks. No offence taken, of course" she smiled sweetly.

'That's telling her, Ami!' Makoto thought, the brunette's lips breaking into a wide grin as Maho took a quick step back, staring hard at the girl.

"Very well." Maho quickly composed herself and addressed the last Ooarai student in line, a taller girl with brown hair tied back in a ponytail. "I assume you must be Luna team's commander?"

"That's right, I am. Kino Makoto."

"Remember that you are here today strictly as an observer, Kino-san. I will tolerate no interference from you during this training session or after today's skirmish begins."

"Understood, Nishizumi-san."

"Excellent. Minna, mount up and we'll begin your Tiger familiarization lesson. I'll soon know if you rookies are even half as good as you think you are."

'Damned right you will!' Makoto muttered under her breath.

. . . . .

Setsuna increased the magnification on the probe's complex series of cameras and centered their image on the people Haruka had spotted. The wooden top of the dining table became the tank assembly area, a grid of large grey concrete slabs, upon which a number of teenage girls and an older woman stood rising up from the surface three-dimensionally, appearing as colorful, tiny living figurines scarcely ten centimeters tall. Beside them the two Kuromorimine Tigers waited, appearing similar in size to the model Panzer the boys had assembled earlier. Taro was so amazed at the realistic image that he felt tempted to reach out and try to touch one of the tanks.

"Randomly stumbling across our girls like this was... rather unexpected" Setsuna murmured.

"I'll say it was! _Minna, it's our fiancees!"_ Taro blurted. He pointed, "There's my Minako! She's talking to Miho's sister beside one of the Tigers!"

"And there's my Mako-chan!" Yuji smiled happily, staring at the image of his beloved. "The picture is so clear I can even see the green balls in her hair tie."

"I count only four of our girls" Ryo observed. "Usagi isn't with them. Incidentally, did anyone else notice the emblem and read the sign on the front of the building? It's Kuromorimine's land-based tank hangar! Why on earth would Miho and our girls be _there_ today?"

"Miho is talking to an older lady next to the second Tiger" Yuji noted. "Could it be her mother, Setsuna-san?"

"I believe it is, Yuji-chan" Setsuna nodded, magnifying the image still further. "She does look quite similar in appearance to her anime counterpart. Perhaps she has something to do with this impromptu meeting we are witnessing."

Haruka and the five boys clustered closer, forming a tight semi-circle around the image rising from the dining room table and deeply puzzled by the strange proceedings occurring in the other dimension. "Now our girls are walking somewhere. _Nani?"_ Yuuichirou gasped. "Haruka-san, tell me you're seeing what I think I am!"

"Hai. They're climbing aboard Maho's Tiger, Yuuichirou-chan" the tall blonde replied, looking on in growing disbelief. "It's definitely Maho's tank because it's the only Kuromorimine Tiger with the number 212 on its hull. She must be supervising them because she's getting into the turret. And she just put on her radio headset." Haruka looked up from the table and grinned, "Minna, the plot thickens!"

"Maybe Miho has arranged for our girls to have a really close-up look at a Tiger" Yuji suggested. "You know, kind of like a guided tour? Hai, that has to be it."

"Possibly, Yuji-chan... or... could it be that our fiancees and Miho have... switched schools?" Yuuichirou pondered while thoughtfully stroking his chin. "I know it sounds crazy, but it may be the real reason why they're suddenly at Kuromorimine's home base. And why Miho's mother is there."

"That could explain why Usagi isn't with them, Yuuichirou-chan" Mamoru mused, hoping the Shinto apprentice's suggestion was completely and utterly wrong. "Perhaps she stayed behind, having decided to remain loyal to Ooarai."

"No! I don't believe any of that! Not for a second!" Yuji vehemently objected. "That can't possibly be the reason, minna! My Mako would _never_ turn her back on her school and her close friends! I just _know_ she wouldn't!" He pointed at the device on the table's far corner. "Setsuna-san, is there any way you can make that fancy gadget let us hear what the girls are saying?"

"Unfortunately not, Yuji-chan. Orbiting so far above the planet in the vacuum of space, this particular satellite we are tapped into can provide only a visual display."

The dumbfounded teens continued watching as further shocking events continued to unfold, next seeing twin plumes of smoke pour from the dual exhaust pipes behind Tiger 212's hull. A few seconds later Maho appeared to speak an order into her microphone and the tank began trundling forward across the top of the dining room table. Setsuna quickly adjusted the image to a wider view before the tank disappeared from sight.

"My Minako is definitely sitting in the driver's seat, so this is a whole lot more than just a simple tour of a Tiger!" Taro exclaimed. The boy groaned, " _Minako my love! You've actually left Ooarai and joined the enemy side? How could you let yourself do such a thing?"_

Haruka added, "And Miho is sitting on the hull of that other Tiger, with her regular Anglerfish crew nowhere to be seen. She must be involved in this too, which is the _last_ thing I would've expected from a girl like her." The tall blonde gave a wry chuckle. "I was going to try playing Ooarai's school theme music on Mako-chan's piano later, but perhaps I should be performing Panzerlied instead."

Yuji dropped heavily into a chair, his expression glum. "Minna, if Yuuichirou is right and I'm wrong, I feel so bad for Yukari and the other Ooarai girls. They must be heartbroken to have Miho suddenly desert them like this! And what will their boyfriends think?"

. . . . .

Standing in the turret of the rumbling Tiger I, Nishizumi Maho again activated her microphone. "Driver, proceed west along the designated path into the target range, speed at your discretion." She added in a mocking tone, "Show me these adept driving skills you profess to have, Aino-san."

Minako's gleeful voice crackled in her headphones. "Hai! You got it, Commander!"

From the radio operator's seat deep within the tank's hull, Makoto grinned up at Rei. "Maho will be sorry she said that. Hai, _here we go!"_

Minako shifted into a higher gear and jammed the accelerator down, sending the massive Tiger charging ahead.

. . . . .


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Surprises**

Miho's mother watched the Tiger gain speed until the tank soon disappeared from sight down a dirt access road that lead to Kuromorimine's practice area. She clicked the button at the top of the silver stopwatch she held, setting its hands in motion. "Maho's training session with your girls has begun, Miho. I expect them to be fully prepared for battle ninety minutes from now. If they are not... they will simply have to manage as best they can."

"Hai. Luna team will be ready, Mother" Miho replied. "My friends are fast learners."

"Oh? Coming from an underachieving school such as Ooarai, that _would_ be a surprise."

The woman slipped the stopwatch into a small black leather bag that hung at waist level from a long thin strap looping over her right shoulder. "Your old teammates should be joining us in approximately forty-five minutes. It appears we have a little time to kill." She reached back into the bag to retrieve her cigarettes, removing two and handing one to her daughter. After lighting both she spoke, "Tell me more about this boyfriend of yours."

"Um... sure" Miho replied with a nervous smile. "What else would you like to know about my Yusei, Okāsan?"

"How are his grades? I assume that having such intelligent parents, he must be an overachiever scholastically."

"He and his older brother Toshiro both do exceptionally well in school. They always finish in the top three in every exam they take, in every subject."

"Good. I expect nothing less from any boy who would date a Nishizumi family member. My standards for him are very high, as they rightfully should be. As they always were for you as well, Miho."

"There's a whole lot more to my Yusei than just good grades" the brown-haired girl insisted. "He's very well-read, so kind and sweet, and always the perfect gentleman to me."

"Hai. You mentioned that before."

"He's also a huge fan of Sensha-do, Okāsan."

"Cheering for you and your current school, no doubt. Well... no one is perfect, so I'll allow him that." The woman paused for another drag on her cigarette before asking, "Do you think he will feel the same way about you after you return to Kuromorimine, Miho?"

"I'm sure he'd love me and support me no matter which school I attend. But aren't you getting ahead of yourself? I haven't defeated Maho yet."

"You will." Miho's mother smiled, "Those girls you brought with you today have all the earmarks of rank beginners at the sport. I believe it is safe to say that Maho will confirm this to me when they return. Putting your trust in them reveals your naivetè, Miho. I only hope this does not extend to your feelings toward your boyfriend as well."

"You left me with no other option, Okāsan. If I may speak bluntly, you've tried very hard to set Maho up to lose this match."

"Of course I have. Having her command a rookie team during today's duel is... shall we say... the icing on the cake."

"Perhaps you shouldn't underestimate my friends' abilities. They may surprise you."

. . . . .

"Loader, prepare the gun for firing. Driver, beyond the top of this long grade we're climbing is a large flat area containing my school's target range" Maho spoke into her microphone. "Alter your speed accordingly."

"Hai! Ami-chan, get ready on your gun!" the blonde exclaimed.

"Our weapon is loaded, Ami-chan" Rei spoke a few seconds later.

Ami sat with her fingers on the turret position and gun elevation controls. The brilliant teen peered through her scope with its unfamiliar aiming markings inscribed in circular fashion around the sight's lens. "I'm ready now, Minako-chan. Just waiting for my first target."

The Tiger's commander had fully expected Minako to slow the tank down well before reaching the firing range, but was stunned to hear her driver instead shift into top gear and tramp hard on the accelerator. The massive Tiger thundered up the slope under full power, leaving Maho's back pinned tightly against the rear of the cupola.

_"Driver, why did you increase our speed?"_

"This is how we do it Ooarai style, Commander!" Minako giggled, keeping the gas pedal pressed to the floor. "No silly slow driving for Luna team!"

"But the gunner requires a stable platform to aim accurately at her-"

Before Miho could finish, the Tiger roared across the top of the grade, its tracks clawing wildly at thin air as the tank briefly became airborne.

"First target is in sight" Ami's voice echoed confidently through the intercom. "Aiming..." The Tiger's turret swung left a few degrees and the KwK 36 gun's long barrel raised slightly as the tank continued racing onward, with the first target, a large square of plywood with a neatly painted red bullseye at its center, coming into view over nine hundred meters ahead.

"Firing."

The loud, sharp crack of the heavy weapon and whoosh of the flying munition was quickly followed by the distant target disintegrating into fragments as the large-caliber shell found its mark.

" _Impossible!"_ Maho gasped. She scowled, "A lucky shot, gunner. You'll never do that again!"

"I wouldn't bet on it!" Makoto grinned while behind the brunette, Rei slammed another long round into the breech.

"Reload complete. Ready to fire." The miko added with immense satisfaction, "Three seconds, Commander Nishizumi" as she felt the turret rotate still further left.

The Tiger continued racing forward with Minako driving ruler-straight across the flat ground until their next target was eight hundred meters away.

"Aiming... firing."

To Maho's amazement, the second plywood square met the same fate as the first, exploding into a cloud of wood shards moments later.

" _Gunner, hold fire! Driver, stop now!"_

"Hai!" both girls replied in unison.

The elder Nishizumi sister caught her breath as her Tiger braked to a halt, scarcely believing her eyes. She dropped down into the turret and stared at her crew. "Minna, it's time you level with me. I don't know what you told Miho, but you obviously aren't rookies at Sensha-do. How long did you practice the art at your previous school before transferring to Ooarai?"

"We've never done this before, Commander" Ami spoke. "Our old school in Tokyo doesn't conduct classes in Sensha-do."

"And you've been at Ooarai for how long?"

"About three weeks" Makoto replied. "That's the full extent of our Sensha-do training, Nishizumi-san. Your sister Miho is a very good teacher."

'She must be' Maho thought. 'Perhaps even better than me'.

"The Anglerfish crew and all the other Ooarai teams helped us a lot too" Rei spoke up. "They may not operate the best tanks, but they know how to make the most of what they do have."

"Hai" Maho muttered. "I'm aware of that, Hino-san. _Painfully_ aware." She shook her head, still stunned by Luna team's outstanding performance in practice so far. "Three weeks... are you girls from another planet or something?"

"Well..." Minako giggled, "we _did_ come from- _Ouch!_ Ami-chan, watch where you stick your feet! You're going to bruise the beautiful soft skin on my shoulder!"

"Sumimasen, Minako-chan."

"I want to further observe your team in action, Kino-san" Mako told the brunette. "Just to reassure myself that their performance thus far isn't a coincidence." She murmured, "I may have been somewhat wrong about my opinions regarding you and your girls. With my future and Miho's hanging on the outcome of this match... I hope you understand what a victory for me would mean to us."

"That's why we're here, Commander" Makoto smiled. "Miho desperately wants to stay with her friends at Ooarai, and we know how much you'd like to have your old job back, so we'll do our best to make both things happen."

Maho's voice softened. "Arigatou. With what I've observed so far today, there _is_ a chance, albeit a slim one, that you actually can."

. . . . .


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Final Preparations**

Usagi walked alone through the small town that occupied much of the top deck of the Zuikaku, her mind pondering what would become of the Anglerfish girls if Miho was forced to leave them for Kuromorimine. She passed by a convenience store and hesitated, looking through the shop window at the colorful display of candy within. With a deep sigh, she continued on towards her temporary school, having no desire for any of the usually tempting treats.

The blonde eventually arrived at Ooarai's tank depot and she noticed one of the two large double-doors to Miho's Panzer bay was open. Usagi wandered inside, finding four dejected girls sitting on the Anglerfish tank's hull.

"Minna, ohayou."

"Hi, Usagi-san." Saori's murmured greeting was sad and melancholy, the girl responding with a weak smile. "You're worried about today's duel too."

Usagi walked up to the tank. "Hai. When will you find out how it went?"

"It'll probably be a while longer. Miho promised she'd call me as soon as the duel is over with the news. That's one phone call I almost don't want to answer."

Yukari sat with her back pressed against her Panzer's turret, the curly-haired girl on the verge of tears. "I keep telling myself Nishizumi-dono will be back, Usagi-san. That she'll lose the match and everything will be ok for her and Yusei and us again. But... what if she wins?" She pressed the fingertips of one hand against the Anglerfish emblem on the side of the turret. "What if we lose our dear friend?"

"Miho will always be your friend, Yukari-san" Usagi replied. "I know how difficult and how painful it will be for everyone if she has to leave Ooarai, but close friendships like you and her share... they last forever."

Usagi climbed onto the Panzer and sat beside the girls. "All we can do now is have hope. Minna, I never told you this before, but about a year or two ago I nearly lost my Mamo-chan. Evil Queen Beryl put him under some kind of strange and powerful mind control, and for a while he turned against me and the Sailor Senshi."

"He did?" Hana exclaimed. "You must have felt dreadful! How did you cope, Usagi-san?"

"I trusted in fate and in the love we shared, Hana-san. I hoped he would somehow break Beryl's wicked spell and come back to me. And he did. I know this is a very different situation, but we have to believe Miho will come back to us too."

"Here's hoping" Mako murmured. "With your Luna team operating her Tiger, maybe Maho will use their skills to find a way to win."

"Hai. Fingers crossed, Mako-san."

. . . . .

"Ohayou, Miho!"

The Anglerfish commander looked up to find the members of her old Kuromorimine team strolling up to the Tiger she was still sitting on, wearing their Sensha-do uniforms. Miho was surprised to find Erika among them. "Hi, minna. It's good to see you again."

"Just like old times" her ex-gunner smiled. "We heard you're coming back to Kuromorimine. It'll be great to have you commanding us from now on, Miho!"

"Only if our tank wins the match" the brown-haired girl replied. "If we lose, I'll be staying at Ooarai."

"You need not concern yourself about that possibility, Miho" Erika spoke. "Your sister is an outstanding tank commander, the best in the business, but even _she_ can't work miracles. Having those rank amateurs crewing her Tiger, the outcome of today's match is as good as settled."

"Perhaps it is" Miho sighed, a frown appearing on her pretty face.

The Tiger's driver gave Miho a quizzical stare. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say it sounds like you _want_ to lose, Miho. Don't worry, we'll knock Maho's tank out easily and you'll be back in our Tiger's turret again. No problem at all!"

Miho's mother strode up to address the group. "See that it happens, minna. I demand perfection from each and every one of you on the battlefield today. I expect this ridiculous duel to be put to rest in short order, with the end result that _I_ want. Am I making myself clear?"

"Hai, Nishizumi-sensei!" the girls chorused, with the gunner confidently adding, "We'll get the job done."

"Excellent. That's exactly what I wanted to hear" the woman smiled. Noting the familiar sound of clanking tracks growing louder in the distance, she checked her stopwatch and spoke, "Only forty-five minutes? Maho is returning from the familiarization practice rather early. Perhaps she realized her team isn't up to the task at hand and has decided not to waste any more time in a futile attempt to whip those Luna rookies into shape." She laughed, "So much the better!"

Miho climbed down off the Tiger and stood beside her mother, her heart sinking as she wondered if today's match really was a lost cause for her sister. A few moments later, Tiger 212 appeared on the access road and trundled up to the waiting girls. Minako brought the tank to a smooth stop and switched off its engine.

"Back so soon, daughter?"

Maho left her Tiger's turret and joined the group, her mother somewhat taken aback at the unexpected smile her elder daughter now wore. "Hai. We've had enough practice, Okāsan. We're ready to compete now."

" _Hontou?"_ the woman exclaimed. "You seem very sure of yourself, Maho. Are you certain about this, or is it just more false bravado? You've scarcely used half of your allotted practice time."

"I'm very sure, Mother."

Miho caught Minako's eye and the girl in the driver's seat of the Tiger grinned and gave her a confident thumbs-up. "Hai! Let's do this!" the blonde exclaimed. "Today's match is in the box, Miho-san!"

In the open hatch above the radio operator's station, Makoto's head turned left to face the driver. "In the _bag_ , Minako-chan!" the brunette groaned. "Not the box, the _bag!"_

"It's in the box _and_ in the bag!" Minako giggled.

"Well!" Nishizumi Shiho chuckled. "What your temporary team may lack in ability, they certainly make up with in confidence, Maho. As misplaced as it may be." She directed her attention to Miho's crew. "Minna, listen closely to the special rules regarding today's match."

. . . . .

"I hate to say it, Yuji-chan, but it's beginning to look more and more like Yuuichirou is right" Taro dejectedly muttered as he watched the situation play out on the image projected onto the dining room table. "I wish we could hear what everyone is talking about though. Then we'd know for sure."

"It doesn't look good, Taro-chan" Ryo murmured in agreement. "Luna team did a fantastic job operating that Tiger and shooting at those practice targets. Maho seems really pleased about the girls' performance too. Perhaps our fiancees really will be crewing her tank from now on."

Taro's younger brother remained steadfast, refusing to accept the idea that their girls and Miho had joined Kuromorimine. "You're all wrong!" the boy blurted. " _All_ of you! Something else is happening here, and even though we can't tell what it is yet, my Mako isn't leaving Ooarai! And neither is anyone else!"

"I'm inclined to agree with you, Yuji-chan" Mamoru mused. "When it comes to sticking with their friends, our young ladies are loyal to a fault, as they always have been. I see nothing here yet to change my mind."

"I'd like to believe it too, Mamoru-san" Yuuichirou nodded. "But-"

"But nothing, Yuuichirou-chan!" Yuji interrupted the older teen. "Sumimasen. I don't want to sound rude, but I _know_ my Mako's kind and faithful heart. The fact that she's there means there is absolutely _no chance_ our fiancees have abandoned Ooarai! And Miho hasn't either! Just wait, you'll see!"

"It appears we are somewhat split in our opinions. Quite interesting." Setsuna asked the tall blonde beside her, "What are your feelings regarding this conundrum, Haruka-san?"

"My feelings?" Haruka grinned. "I'm with Yuji and Mamoru on this one, Sets."

. . . . .

"The duel will commence in fifteen minutes" Shiho told the teens to finish her briefing. "That should be sufficient time for both commanders to position their tanks at a suitable location in the skirmish area. Minna, I have Miho's completed resignation papers ready to dispatch to Ooarai and I'd like them to arrive sometime later this afternoon. So let's get this unnecessary debacle over and done with."

Erika smiled evilly from the sidelines as she watched the girls climb onto their two Tigers. "Welcome home, Miho."

"Ha!" Minako scoffed. "Save the warm welcome until she's back at her _real_ school later today, Erika-san! Ooarai Girls Academy! That's where Miho belongs, and it's where she's going to stay!"

Kuromorimine's second-in-command smirked, "She'll finally be rid of that puny Panzer IV and have a _good_ tank to command. As you will no doubt realize when and if you ever compete against us again, Aino-san."

The blonde yelled, " _How dare you insult our Panzers!"_

"If the shoe fits..." Erika laughed.

Makoto promptly leapt to her feet, standing high above the radio operator's open hatch and glaring down at the girl with a look that could melt steel. "Our so-called puny Panzer was more than enough to knock _your_ tank out two days ago, wasn't it Erika? Or did you forget already?"

"You were lucky."

"Keep throwing that attitude in our faces and you _won't_ be!" Luna team's commander growled threateningly back. "Not for very much longer, I promise!"

Shiho whirled around. " _Silence!_ I will tolerate no further bickering! If you two girls have a score to settle, you can do it later after the match is over!"

"I'd like that" the tall brunette in the white and green school fuku muttered, still staring at Erika. "I'd like it a lot." Makoto dropped down into the hull and reached for the hatch, slamming it closed above her.

Erika stormed over to the Tiger. "I'm not afraid of your empty threats, Kino-san! I happen to have a black belt in karate!"

Rei's head appeared outside the open loader's hatch. "A black belt, Erika-san? Against Kino Makoto? You still wouldn't stand a chance."

" _Is that so?"_

"Hai, it is." The raven-haired miko smiled. "It would be like... what's the phrase I'm looking for... like bringing a knife to a gunfight."

. . . . .


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Memories**

As the pair of Tigers began rumbling towards their starting position at the center of the practice area, the younger of the two sisters heard her mother's voice in her headphones, "What course of action are you planning on implementing in this duel of yours, Miho?"

"Um... well, the usual Kuromorimine doctrine of rushing the opposition with overwhelming force can't be applied today, Okāsan, since I have only this single tank under my command. After the match begins, I think it would be best to patrol the battlefield very cautiously and hope to locate Maho's Tiger from extreme range. That will allow me to plan my next offensive move based on the terrain her tank is occupying, and I can hopefully sneak us into a good firing position where we have some protection."

" _Sneak_ , you said? Hmm. It appears you'll be relying once again on an all too typical and predictable Ooarai tactic." The woman occupying the radio operator's seat sounded displeased with her younger daughter's announced strategy. "Aren't you concerned that Maho has gotten wise to this overused technique of yours by now? She may set a trap for you to blunder into while you're looking for her."

"Hai, it is a risky plan, Mother" Miho admitted. "But since you've given us just one hour of battle time before declaring a winner, playing it safe by laying in wait for Maho's tank to randomly appear in front of us is a luxury I don't have."

"Very well. We'll soon see if this dubious idea of yours works. I have my doubts" the woman muttered.

Noticing that the Tiger they were temporarily following along the training area's access road was proceeding much slower than expected, Miho assumed that her sister was allowing Minako more time to become familiar with how the larger tank handled. She decided it would look better to her mother if she thought Miho was already taking the initiative. The brown-haired commander activated her microphone again. "Driver, increase your speed and pass the other tank. I want us to arrive at the skirmish starting point before they do so I have first choice of terrain when our tanks separate."

"Gladly, Commander!" The girl at the controls snickered, "That rookie is driving Maho's tank like a little old lady!" She promptly shifted into a higher gear and began accelerating around the second Tiger, deliberately driving past it as closely as she dared.

Also sitting with her head above her open hatch, Minako was startled to see the other tank appear beside her. "Nani? I thought they were supposed to be following _us!"_

As the un-numbered Tiger caught up to her, its driver smirked at the blonde with the red bow in her hair and yelled, "Get out of my way, Obāsan! We don't have all day!" She laughed at Minako's stunned expression, increased her speed further and pulled briskly ahead.

" _Obāsan?"_ Minako blurted, incensed at being both insulted and passed. " _Mako-chan, did you hear what she just called me?_ She called me a _grandma!_ I was only driving so crazy slow because that's what Maho told me to do!"

"Hai. I heard her" Makoto chuckled from the seat to her right. "Are you going to let her get away with it?"

"Nishizumi-san, requesting permission to speed up!" the blonde begged her commander. " _Please!"_

"I know what Miho is up to" Maho replied. "Permission granted. Driver, retake the lead position."

 _"It is so on!"_ Minako cackled, shoving the gear lever forward into high. "Nobody ever said I drive like a grandma before, _and they never will again!"_ She planted her right foot hard the floor, unleashing all six hundred and ninety horsepower from her huge Maybach HL230 engine. "Minna, we'll get to that starting point first, or we'll die trying!" the girl vowed.

Makoto looked back at Rei. "There's a pleasant thought!" she yelled to the miko above the thunderous roar of the engine behind them.

The driver of Miho's tank was caught off-guard when the second Tiger shot past her at full power, accompanied by Minako turning her head and sticking her tongue out at her. "How _dare_ that rookie think she can beat me?" the girl fumed. "I won't allow it! _I have more driving experience in my little finger than she has in her whole body!"_ She too pressed her accelerator pedal all the way down and the race was on.

. . . . .

In the house outside Nerima, Haruka watched the Tigers tear along the access road, throwing dirt high into the air behind their churning tracks and leaving thick plumes of exhaust in their wakes. She grinned, "Minna, this is more like it! I still don't know what they're up to, but I know a race when I see one! _Go, Minako-chan!"_

"My girl is really pushing that tank for all it's worth!" Taro chuckled. "Just like how she always drives her car."

Setsuna hurriedly reduced the image's magnification to keep the fast-moving Tigers in sight. "The road appears to become much rougher up ahead. I do hope they avoid an accident."

"Minna, maybe _that's_ why our girls are at Kuromorimine today" Yuji suggested with a hopeful smile, still holding fast to his belief that they hadn't changed schools. "It's all just for a race, and after it's over they'll return to Ooarai where they belong."

"I don't think so, Yuji-chan" Ryo spoke up. "If it's merely a driving competition, why did my Ami practice firing her tank's gun earlier?"

The other boy's smile faded. "Oh" Yuji murmured. "I forgot about that. I guess I'm just grasping at straws."

. . . . .

The pair of Tiger I's were now running nearly neck and neck down the increasingly rutted access road, with their commanders holding on tightly to the jostling rims of their cupolas. Miho and Maho looked at each other, and the elder sister surprised Miho when she grinned and began slapping one hand against the rear of her turret as though she was riding a horse and spurring it onward.

Miho giggled and leaned ahead in a comical pretend-attempt to cut through the air rushing past her and make her tank go faster, producing a laugh from Maho that was lost to the wind and the roar of their powerful engines.

For a fleeting moment, the two teenage girls forgot about the serious battle that lay ahead and remembered happier times, when they were much younger and Sensha-do was merely a fun game to them instead of the possibly life-changing competition it had become on this day.

. . . . .

"Miho, why are we travelling so quickly?" her mother asked over the intercom, snapping the brown-haired girl's thoughts back to the present. "I don't intend to start the clock on your duel until we arrive at the separation point. There is no need to make haste yet."

"Uh... we're just having fun, Okāsan. That's all."

"Sensha-do isn't about _fun_ , daughter. It's about skill and proficiency. About tactics and teamwork, and working hard to always come out on top. Not merely having fun."

"It used to be fun" Miho murmured. "And at Ooarai, it still is."

"You should try to forget about your current school, Miho. That part of your life is in the past now. Or it _will_ be, when you defeat Maho again as I'm certain you will."

"Nishizumi-sensei is right, Miho-san" her gunner spoke. "We can easily out-drive and out-shoot those rookies. You'll be wearing your Kuromorimine jacket and cap again in your next match, and in every match from now on. Forget about Ooarai. Your place is here with us."

'No it isn't' Miho thought, breathing a heavy sigh. 'I'll honor my promise to return to Kuromorimine if I win today's duel, but my heart will always be with the boy I love and with my true friends.' She pictured Saori's bright, cheerful smile and Yukari's enthusiasm and boundless respect for her.

'Hai. That's where I _really_ belong'.

. . . . .


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: The Stage is Set**

The teens at Makoto's house soon found themselves caught up in the excitement of the impromptu race between the two Tigers, the concerns about their girls crewing a Kuromorimine tank temporarily set aside as they cheered Minako on.

"They're running side by side now!" Yuuichirou exclaimed. "This race is way too close to call! Haruka-san, you drive sports cars professionally in competition. Who do _you_ think will win?"

"Maho's tank definitely will. No doubt about it, Yuuichirou-chan."

"Oh? How can you be so sure, Haruka?" Setsuna asked, reducing the image's magnification still further to reveal that the tanks were heading towards the top of a gently sloping hill that now loomed in the distance. "Aren't both tanks the same type, which would make them quite evenly matched?"

"How do I know? Two words" the tall blonde chuckled. "Aino Minako."

"I'm with you there, Haruka-san!" Taro laughed. "When it comes to being first to get somewhere, my girl has a competitive streak a kilometer wide. On second thought, make that ten kilometers!"

. . . . .

"Minna, I can see the hill we're supposed to stage from!" Minako blurted from the driver's seat in the hull of Maho's speeding Tiger. "It's about a kilometer ahead! And Miho's tank is still hanging on beside us! Her driver is really good!"

"As good as Mako or you are, Minako-chan?" Makoto asked with a grin.

"Of course not! That's just silly talk, Mako-chan! _I'm_ the best driver here today, and I'm about to prove it!"

"Even if you don't beat Miho's tank, you'll win against anyone in an ego contest, Minako-chan" Rei muttered from the jostling loader's seat. "We're hitting so many bumps in the road, my vision is getting blurry. Can't you find a better path?"

"I'm going to fix that and win this race, Rei-chan! Hang on tight!" The blonde eyed the upcoming terrain, noticing that the ground off to her left appeared considerably smoother than the right side where the second Tiger was travelling. She worked the control levers and her tank drifted onto the flatter terrain, gaining a touch more speed in the process. "Minna, now we're _really_ flying!"

Minako once again verbally began urging the massive tank on. "You can go even faster than this for me, can't you? Don't you dare hold anything back from Mistress Minako! _Because I'm going to whip everything you've got out of you!"_

"My goodness!" Ami exclaimed. "Minako is getting rather carried away with her driving again!"

Makoto grinned at the tank's gunner who was blushing at the blonde's stern demand for even more speed from the massive machine. "So she's calling herself Mistress Minako now? Whatever happened to Momma, Ami-chan?"

"I don't want to think about it" Ami murmured.

As the scenery whipped past her turret in a blur, Maho ducked down inside and asked, "Does Minako-san always speak to her Panzer in such a... uh... kinky manner when she drives it, Makoto-san?"

"Hai" the brunette chuckled. "She always does, Nishizumi-san. And the scary thing is, I think it works."

. . . . .

Tiger 212 began pulling away from the other tank until it was a full three hull-lengths ahead when they reached the bottom of the hill, much to the exasperation of Miho's driver. "How is that amateur beating me? Our Tigers can't go that fast, Miho-san! _It's impossible!"_

"That's very typical for Minako" Miho laughed. "If the Panzer IV she usually drives had wings, I'm sure she'd find a way to make it fly!"

"Impressive" her mother mused. "At least one member of your rookie team knows what she's doing, Miho. But it takes more than quick, skillful driving to win a Sensha-do match. I still have serious reservations about the gunner you shackled Maho with. That mousey little blue-haired girl would look more at home sitting at a desk in a library than inside a tank."

"Looks can be very deceiving, Okāsan" Miho giggled. "You will realize just how skilled Ami is at gunnery after the battle begins."

"For your sake, I hope I don't" the woman grumbled. "You told me these girls are your least experienced crew. But I'm beginning to think I've been lied to."

"Absolutely not, Mother! I told you the honest truth when I said Luna Team is still very new to the feminine art. They just happen to be really good at it."

"Is that a fact? Then perhaps when you return to Kuromorimine after today's duel, you can persuade them to abandon the lost cause that is Ooarai and join us here as well, Miho. My school is always willing to take on new students if they're as talented as you say they are."

The brown-haired girl frowned. 'I hope it doesn't come to that' she thought, crossing her fingers for luck. 'I just want to go home to Ooarai.'

. . . . .

The otherworldly communications device on the corner of the dining room table suddenly emitted two soft beeps, followed by a vaguely familiar voice in English which sounded as clear as though the man was standing in the room beside the teens. "Hello again, Setsuna-san! Is the communications equipment I left operating properly?"

"Hai. I mean yes, Zi-" The greenish-haired girl caught herself just as she began speaking the man's name. "It's functioning perfectly, Captain. I was in the process of demonstrating some of its basic capabilities to my close friends. I do hope I haven't overstepped my bounds by doing so."

"Not at all! You operate it very proficiently, considering the brief time you had to become familiar with it."

"Do you wish me to terminate the signal we're receiving and switch the unit off?"

"Actually, I'd like you to continue, if you don't mind. We've tapped into the feed from dimension four you're presently viewing, and my bridge crew is observing the proceedings there with great interest. Many of them are fans of Sensha-do" the voice admitted with a chuckle. "Including me. It's a very entertaining sport."

Haruka and the boys silently stared at Setsuna as she continued, "Certainly, Captain. We are still unsure as to what is currently happening there, but I'm happy to hear you're permitting us to continue observing. Several of the Sailor Senshi are crewing one of the tanks involved, but in their regular schoolgirl form."

"They are? Fascinating! My vessel is scheduled to be within your dimension's Sol system for another twelve Earth days. Nothing to be concerned about, it's an entirely routine patrol. Feel free to contact me at any time if you have any further questions about the device. And please give my warmest regards to Sailor Uranus and the Sailor Senshi's fiancees. I'm looking forward to meeting them again someday, as well as Usagi and her other Senshi."

"I will" Setsuna replied. "Arigatou."

The device beeped again and the communication abruptly ceased.

Haruka promptly placed her hands on the table and leaned across it. "He not only knows who the guys are but _my_ real identity too? Sets, after this tank thing is over, you've got a _lot_ more explaining to do!"

"No doubt I have, Haruka. Within certain limits, of course" she cryptically replied before returning her attention to the three-dimensional image on the tabletop. "But for the moment, let's continue spectating today's curious event, shall we?"

"Um... I just have to ask, even though you probably won't tell me, Setsuna-san" Taro spoke up. "But... have you actually _seen_ that spaceship you were just talking to?"

"Have I seen it, Taro-chan?" the girl smiled. "Hai. I've travelled in it."

" _You have?"_ Ryo gasped, the boy's blue eyes wide. "What does it look like, Setsuna-san? Is it a disk-shaped flying saucer like they usually portray in the movies?"

"No. It looks like nothing the people who produce science fiction films have ever imagined, Ryo-chan. I must admit, its appearance is actually rather... frightening. As are certain non-human members of its crew. But enough talk on _that_ sensitive subject." Setsuna pointed at the image of the two tanks. "Minna, it appears our resident auto racing driver was indeed correct about the outcome of the girls' sprint."

"Of course I was" Haruka grinned.

. . . . .

Minako had quickly lifted her foot off the accelerator and jammed on the Tiger's brakes, skidding the massive machine to a stop across the grassy crest of the hill with a triumphant cheer. She raised her hands in the air in celebration. " _Yes!_ _Yes!_ Minna, I told you I'd win! We got here before Miho's tank did, so our commander gets first pick of where we go before the shooting starts!"

"You performed admirably, driver" Maho complimented the blonde with an uncharacteristically warm smile. "For someone who professes to have limited experience in Sensha-do, you've adapted to handling my much heavier Tiger quickly and competently. Your skill at the controls should bode well for us in our upcoming skirmish."

"Arigatou, Nishizumi-san!" Minako beamed at the unexpected praise. As Miho's Tiger pulled alongside, she turned her head and grinned at its red-faced fuming driver. "What took you so long, Grandma? Did you stop somewhere along the way to do a little sightseeing?"

The other girl scowled back, "Save your gloating, rookie. Our dumb little race is the _only_ thing your tank is going to win today!"

"Hontou? We were _racing?"_ the bubbly blonde deadpanned. "If I knew that, I would've gotten here a lot sooner!"

"As modest as ever, Minako-chan" Rei groaned.

"Way to go, Mistress Minako" Makoto snickered. "Remember to give Indiana Taro his whip back later, after you finish using it on Maho's poor Tiger."

 _"You heard me say that, Mako-chan?"_ the blonde gasped, her cheeks reddening. "I was only... you know... getting into the moment."

"Hai. We all heard it" Rei smirked. "Minako-chan, you even made Maho blush this time. Good going."

"Well... I won the race, didn't I?" She giggled, "And I enjoyed it too! Pushing any gas pedal to the floor always makes me feel so _hot!_ Especially when I'm driving a big powerful tank!"

The brunette in the seat to her right chuckled, "You're a lost cause, Minako-chan. Nearly as bad as Ami is when _she_ drives."

" _Mako-chan!"_ the embarrassed blue-haired girl exclaimed, her cheeks flushing crimson.

In Miho's tank, the elder Nishizumi raised herself up through her hatch opening, her silver stopwatch again in hand. Shiho pressed its button and announced, "Commanders, the duel begins now. You have five minutes to separate and position your tanks in suitable starting locations, during which time no shots are permitted to be fired. After that, you are free to engage one another at will. Maho, your tank has first choice of an appropriate starting location, and as the clock is now ticking, I suggest you move out immediately. I have important paperwork to dispatch to Ooarai, so let's get this needless formality over and done with."

"Hai!" her daughters responded, with both girls quickly dropping inside their turrets.

"Where are we heading, Commander?" Minako asked. "Do you want me to drive us towards that big bunch of trees on our right?"

"No. That's exactly where Miho would expect us to go, Minako-san." Maho smiled, "For _this_ battle I have something much better in mind."

. . . . .


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 11: Two Commanders, One Victor - The Duel Begins**

"Driver, turn around and head back the way we came" Maho ordered. "Proceed at no more than one-third speed."

"Uh... hai." Confused by her commander's decision, Minako obediently set the Tiger in motion, pivoting away from Miho's tank before rumbling down the hill. Inside the turret, Makoto and Rei exchanged puzzled glances.

The loader closed her hatch and quietly spoke to her friend without using the intercom. "I wonder what Maho is up to, Mako-chan. There's no cover that way, just open ground. If we're still there when the shooting starts, we'll be a sitting duck."

The brunette shook her head. "I have no idea."

Watching Maho's tank slowly retreat, Miho was equally perplexed by her sister's strange tactic. "I was sure she'd choose a spot inside the treeline to begin the match. This is a big surprise."

"Your orders, Commander?"

"Driver, if the other Tiger doesn't want to shelter within the trees, we'll take them" Miho decided. "Proceed there now. Loader, prepare our weapon. As usual, we'll be using only armor-piercing shells during this skirmish."

"Hai."

The second Tiger began moving in the opposite direction as the first heavy 8.8cm round was smoothly rammed into its gun's breech. Miho stood in her cupola watching her sister's tank until it was obscured from sight by the hilltop that now separated them. "That's very odd, Mother. If she changes her mind and wants to find cover later, her tank will have to cross open ground. We'll have an easy target."

"As I said before, Miho, your sister has obviously lost her competitive edge" the woman spoke. "Yet another poor decision by Maho that may quickly cost her the match." She chuckled, "Which is fine by me."

"If she tries that, I'll get two quick rounds into her tank as soon as she passes the hill we just left, Miho-san" her gunner confidently added. "There's no other way for her to go. This duel will be over in no time."

'I don't understand it' the brown-haired teen thought with a shake of her head. Miho frowned, 'It's almost like Maho is _trying_ to lose.'

. . . . .

"Just as I assumed she would, Miho is playing it safe" Maho spoke to her team. "She'll start the match in that narrow grove of trees, likely near its center. Then she'll wait for us to present ourselves as an easy target. But we aren't going to do that."

"If the other Tiger is stationary and we're moving fast, her gunner will be able to aim much more accurately than I will" Ami spoke. "By the time I visually locate their tank in my gunsight, they will probably have fired at least twice. The odds of Miho scoring good hits on us will definitely be in her favor."

"Feeling less sure of your abilities, Mizuno-san?" Maho chuckled. "Don't worry, I have no intention of giving Miho an easy target." She dropped into the turret. "The cluster of trees she'll be sitting in is very small. She has confined her tank to a narrow area that I know well. Follow my commands precisely and we'll make her pay."

"Driver, we've gone far enough. Turn around tightly and creep back to the base of the hill at low speed. I don't want our engine noise to carry. Keep the hill between us and those trees. During this maneuver, hiding our movement is of utmost importance."

"Hai, Commander." Minako worked the track control levers and the massive Tiger lost momentum as it swung sharply to the left. The blonde muttered, "All this slow driving is getting really boring! I want to put the pedal to the floor again!"

"You'll get your chance soon enough, Minako-san" Maho reassured the speed-crazed girl. "Loader, for this first part of my plan to be successful, you'll need to reload faster than you ever have before. Three seconds maximum."

"I can do it" Rei nodded. "But we'll be behind a hill with no view of our target, Nishizumi-san. What is Ami supposed to be shooting at?"

"That is an important point, Commander" the blue-haired girl cautiously spoke.

"You're both thinking like tank crewmembers" Maho smiled. "However, we won't be operating as a typical tank for our opening volleys. Instead, we'll be artillery."

. . . . .

Having reached the treeline, Miho instructed her driver to continue closer to the center of the nearly two-dozen tall, leafy camphor trees that made up her initial cover. She ordered her Tiger to turn around and stopped just as the deployment phase of the match ended. "That's the five minute mark, Miho" her mother spoke. "Your tank is now free to fire."

"Hai. Otāsan, do you approve of my tank's starting point?"

"I do. It is a somewhat predictable location, and I'm surprised Maho didn't choose it when she had the chance, but the only other nearby terrain features are that deep gully north of here and the series of cliff ledges to our west. Both are less than ideal defensive positions."

"Arigatou, Mother. Gunner, train your weapon towards the hilltop we vacated. Maho needs to make the first move due to the match's time limit, and she'll likely appear as a fast-moving target at the far side of the hill. You'll need to lead your shots appropriately."

"That's well within lethal range of our gun, Commander." She laughed, "Your sister is making it too easy for me!"

'Hai, she is' Miho mused. 'I wonder why?'

. . . . .

"Halt when we reach the half-way point on the slope, driver. Go no further, lest we be discovered. Gunner, raise our weapon to its highest elevation." She told Ami, "I'll be outside for a brief time. Adjust your gun's aim by following my hand signals, up or down and left or right as I indicate. The number of fingers I hold up is the amount of degrees you will change your aim. I'll set you up for your first shot, but hold fire until I make a fist. Got it?"

"Understood, Nishizumi-san" Ami nodded.

After her Tiger had stopped, Maho climbed out of her tank and carefully walked further up the grade, dropping to a crouch near the top. She studied the grove's location relative to her Tiger with a practiced eye, and signalled to her gunner.

The tank's turret whined as it swung five degrees left, then the long barrel dropped three degrees lower. Satisfied with the result, Maho signalled her gunner and the first round was unleashed, arcing high into the air.

. . . . .

Miho was stunned to hear the dull boom of Tiger 212's weapon, with her sister's tank still nowhere to be found. After a few seconds, a whistling sound approaching from somewhere above had her drop into the turret and slam the hatch closed.

" _Incoming!"_

One more second passed, then a huge fountain of dirt erupted less than ten meters to the left and rear of her tank.

 _"Where did that come from?"_ her gunner gasped, feeling the earth quiver beneath her tank's hull.

Miho's head swung wildly from side to side, looking through each of her cupola's viewing slits in a desperate attempt to spot the second Tiger. "They aren't behind us, minna! Not left or right either!"

. . . . .

Maho signalled Ami with a quick adjustment and Tiger 212's KwK 36 gun quickly blazed again, sending another round arcing skyward.

. . . . .

The air around Miho's tank became brown with dust as the second round left a deep crater six meters to her right.

"Miho, why aren't you returning fire?" her mother angrily blurted.

"There's no target to shoot at, Okāsan! The shells are dropping nearly straight down!" Miho suddenly realized what her sister was doing. "Maho's tank must be using the back of the hill to raise her shell trajectory! She's using her weapon like an artillery piece!"

"I can't hit them if there's a hill between us!" her gunner blurted. "If they get lucky and drop one much closer, we'll be knocked out of action without firing a shot!"

The crew of Miho's Tiger looked up as another whoosh above them became a thunderous explosion of dirt uncomfortably close to the front of their hull.

" _Well?_ What are you going to do about this?" the elder Nishizumi snapped. "if you just sit here doing nothing you'll eventually lose, Miho! _Completely unacceptable!"_

"Maho has this location ranged out. We need to get out of these trees!" the girl decided. "Driver, head for the gully at top speed! It's the nearest cover we can reach!"

Her Tiger's engine roared and the heavy tank sprinted forward, weaving its way between the thick trunks of the tiny camphor forest and gouging a thick layer of bark from one of the trees as it rushed past. A heartbeat later, another round impacted the earth in the exact spot Miho's tank had been stopped.

. . . . .

"We flushed them out! They're running!" Maho grinned as the Tiger thundered out from the treeline. She sprinted back to her tank and leapt onto its hull, shouting an order while she clambered onto its turret. "Driver, proceed over the hill, maximum power! We're going to chase Miho down!"

"Finally, _I_ get to have more fun!" Minako giggled, releasing the clutch and mashing the accelerator to the floor. The Tiger jolted forward, gaining more speed when it crested the hilltop and revealing Miho's tank in the distance, racing towards the protection of a long gouge in the earth a kilometer further ahead.

. . . . .

Miho knew the chase was on, and ordered "Gunner, target is directly behind us and closing! Rotate the turret and fire when able!"

"Hai!"

"Driver, after we shoot, begin zig-zagging! We need to drop into that gully soon, our hull's rear is exposed to enemy fire!"

"Understood, Nishizumi-san!"

Realizing she was in the unaccustomed position of being the hunted rather than the hunter, Miho found herself smiling. "I can't believe we're running away! Running from Aino Minako's insanely fast driving and Mizuno Ami's crack marksmanship!" She giggled happily, "I think I'm in trouble!"

. . . . .

With her turret still facing forward, Ami was first to fire. She squeezed her trigger just as her tank jostled over a deep rut and her round went high, clanging off the rear of the other tank's turret instead of striking the back of its hull as she had intended. "A hit, but it didn't raise their flag" she muttered. "I simply must do better next time."

Watching the shell strike, Maho was pleased by her gunner's skill. "Nice shooting! Do it again, Ami-san!"

By now, Miho's gunner had Maho's tank firmly in her gunsight. Her finger tightened on the trigger but an instant before it clicked home, Minako yanked back on her left stick and Tiger 212 angled away from the flying shell. " _Damn that blonde rookie!"_

The voice of the commander's mother spoke angrily over the intercom, "This is _not_ what I was expecting, Miho! You're fleeing like a typical Ooarai tank, instead of fighting back as a proper Kuromorimine commander should!"

"I intend to regroup and go on the offensive when we're safely in the gully, Okāsan." The brown-haired girl's usually sweet, soft-spoken voice took on a slightly sharper tone. "If you honestly think there was something I should have done differently so far, or there is a better way to escape our pursuer, I would enjoy hearing it."

Stunned by her daughter's uncharacteristic outburst, and knowing Miho was right, the woman fell silent as their tank charged across the flat terrain. It lurched from left to right as it edged ever nearer the safety of the depression they were rapidly approaching.

. . . . .


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Honor Among Sisters - Resolution**

With the battle joined, the two Kuromorimine tanks exchanged another salvo as Maho's Tiger relentlessly closed in on her sister's machine. Both drivers dodged the rounds fired at them as the tanks thundered forward.

"We're at the gully!" Miho spoke excitedly into her throat microphone. "When we drop inside, stop hard! Gunner, now's your chance! Make it count!"

"Hai!"

The Tiger's turret quickly rotated left ninety degrees as the tank descended into the shallow ditch, its gun barrel barely clearing the wall of dirt they were now sheltering behind.

" _Firing!"_

The gun roared, unleashing a round directly at Maho's approaching tank that had now closed to just two hundred meters away. The shot whacked against Tiger 212's thick front armor and ricocheted sharply upwards. "Hit! No flag!" the gunner blurted. She screamed at the girl sitting to her right, " _Reload!"_

"Miho has gained the advantage on us!" her sister exclaimed in dismay. "We can't hit their hull from here and if we turn, she could knock our exposed track off!"

"Allow me, Nishizumi-san!" Minako replied. "That ditch isn't very wide! Minna, hold on tight! We're going flying!"

"She's trying to jump it" Makoto muttered, peering through her viewport. _"Brace yourselves minna!"_ The tall brunette reached down and clamped her hands around the rim of her seat seconds before the Tiger reached the near edge of the gully, still moving as fast as it possibly could.

Ami instinctively knew what her blonde friend had in mind and yanked hard on the turret's control handle. Her gun began rotating and was still turning when the Tiger sped across the depression, becoming airborne as it passed closely over the engine compartment of Miho's tank with under a half meter to spare. To Maho's surprise, her Tiger safely cleared the gap and crashed back down on the opposite edge with a bone-rattling thump. Her left elbow struck the inside rim of the cupola and she grimaced at the pain, shrugging it off as the turret finally stopped turning.

" _Feuer!"_

"Shooting" Ami calmly spoke, squeezing her trigger once more. Her shell struck the upper exposed portion of turret of the second Tiger, embedding itself deep within the armor. "Another hit, still no flag."

"Circle around, driver!" Maho ordered. "Present them with our front armor!"

"Doing it!" Minako answered, working the levers frantically while keeping the gas pedal pinned to the floor. _"I love Sensha-do!"_ the blonde exclaimed. _"It's my second favorite thing in the whole world! The first is making sweet love-love with my stud muffin!"_

 _"We can tell, you sex-crazed baka!"_ Rei yelled back as she quickly slid another round into the breech. _"We're loaded,_ _Ami-chan!"_

. . . . .

"They've hit us twice, Miho" her mother growled disapprovingly. "Unacceptable! _You_ _must not lose!"_ She steamed, "Minna, I'm very disappointed with your performance thus far! With _all_ of you!"

"We're doing our best, Okāsan!" her daughter answered. "Gunner, return fire when they finish their turn!"

"This is the round that'll put those rookies out of action" the girl at the scope vowed. "I've had more than enough of these lucky Ooarai amateurs!" She hunched intently behind the the eyepiece and carefully adjusted her aim. "That's it! Just keep turning... a little more and you're as good as dead!"

Maho watched the other Tiger's turret slow its rotation, now pointing just ahead of her tank's path. "They're leading us! Driver, tighten our turn! Sharp as you can, Minako-san!"

"Hai hai!"

The tracks of Tiger 212 clawed deeply into the ground as the tank spun even harder to the right. A shell burst from Miho's tank, whizzing through the narrow gap between the gun barrel and upper hull of the pivoting Tiger. "Missed us!" Minako gloated. "Now's our big chance! I'll stop real close so you can finish them off, Ami-chan!"

. . . . .

Miho cleverly anticipated Minako's move and squeezed her throat microphone. "Driver, advance fast along the gully floor! _Stand on it!"_

Her engine roared and the tank's tracks churned the soil beneath them to powder as the Tiger pulled away.

. . . . .

"They're running down the gully!" Maho told her crew. "Driver, drop us in behind them if you can!"

"If I can? How silly to think I can't!" Minako giggled. "Watch this!" She braked hard and the Tiger tipped forward, collapsing the gully's near wall under its immense weight as it skidded down inside. She steered parallel to the wall opposite her while Ami again traversed the turret forward. The blue-haired girl smiled to see the rear of Miho's Tiger loom large in her eyepiece.

. . . . .

"We're trapped!" Miho gasped. "Driver, climb up the left wall! Get us out of here!"

"It's too steep, Miho!" her mother blurted in alarm. " _We'll roll over!"_

 _"_ I'll take that chance. _Do it!"_

Her Tiger's burst of speed carried the day, the massive machine tilting wildly as it scaled up the crumbling bank. Ami's next shot caught only the right-rear corner of her fleeing target, mangling the guard plate behind its nearest track as it flew past.

Miho held her breath, feeling her tank tip precariously to one side until it finally reached level ground again. "Full power, driver! Put as much distance between us as you can! Gunner, Maho's Tiger will probably follow us up, shoot as soon as they reach the top!"

"I'm nearly ready, Commander!" The girl's finger hovered over the trigger, waiting for her turret to finish slewing to face the rear.

. . . . .

"Stay in the gully, Minako-san! They'll hit us for sure if we follow them!"

"Hai! I'll wait until this ditch ends then zoom up fast and turn towards them before they can shoot!" The blonde poured on more speed, causing Rei to struggle to slide another round into the open breech as her jostling Tiger raced along.

. . . . .

"No target, Miho-san" her gunner muttered. "Your sister must be reading your mind!"

"Maho always had a knack for that. Turn us around, driver. We're ending this battle here and now!"

"It's about time!" her mother grumbled. "You're finally behaving like a Kuromorimine commander should, Miho. Decisive and aggressive!"

"We'll soon know if it's the best strategy, Okāsan. The gully ends in another fifty meters." The younger sister and her crew watched and waited for their target to appear, the seconds feeling like hours as they ticked by. "There they are! Shoot!"

The trigger was pulled a heartbeat later and the high-caliber shell covered the distance between the battling Tigers in an instant, slamming into the guide wheels inside a track of Maho's tank. "Hit! Their left track came off!" the girl at the weapon cheered. "That'll finally shut that blonde rookie up!"

"No flag!" Miho warned her crew, her heart sinking at the sight of the other tank spinning wildly out of control before grinding to a halt. She reluctantly gave the order that would end Maho's Kuromorimine career and her brief but happy time at Ooarai Girls Academy. " _Reload and fire again!"_

. . . . .

 _"I can't steer this silly thing anymore!"_ Minako gasped as she felt one of the control levers become loose in her hand. "Our left track must be wrecked, Maho-san! _I'm so very sorry!"_

"It is what it is" the elder Nishizumi sister murmured, knowing that the duel was all but at an end, and with it her last chance to retake the overall commander's position she had fought so hard to win. Maho sighed heavily. "Arigatou, crew. At least we tried our best."

But one member of Luna team fought on against all odds, quickly bringing her loaded and still-operational weapon to bear on Miho's Tiger. With her blue eyes fixed on the other tank filling her gunsight and her brilliant mind calculating the optimum trajectory of her final shot, Mizuno Ami nudged the gun's elevation control upward slightly and pulled her trigger one last time.

The long gun barrel of Tiger 212 thundered, belching fire and smoke behind the heavy shell it released. The munition whooshed through the air and rammed into the enemy Tiger's main weapon near its pivot, visibly bending the long barrel to one side and rendering it useless. Maho was stunned beyond words to see a white flag spring up into the bright sunshine from the turret of the now crippled machine.

The approaching Tiger I slowed, then abruptly clattered to a stop scarcely twenty meters away, its engine falling silent. The battle was over.

. . . . .

Two sisters leapt from their tanks and rushed towards each other, both teens squealing with joy. They embraced one another tightly while their other crewmembers emerged from their rides, the girls of Luna team breaking into loud cheers while Miho's team and her mother looked on in utter disbelief. Her gunner angrily snatched the uniform cap from her head and threw it on the ground. " _Shimatta! Another two seconds and I would've finished them!"_

"You did it, Maho!" Miho exclaimed with her brightest smile. "You won the match!"

"I... I still don't believe it! But there's your flag! I honestly thought you had us!"

"And now everything will be normal again! You'll get your old position back, and I can return to Ooarai permanently! I can't wait to tell Anglerfish team and my Yusei the good news!"

Maho smiled warmly at her sibling. "Hai, Miho. You're going home."

. . . . .

Tsukino Usagi and the girls of Anglerfish team were still sitting quietly on their parked Panzer when they heard Takebe Saori's cell phone emit a musical chime. The radio operator reached into her pocket and pulled it out, quickly flipping it open. "Minna, it's Miho!"

" _Please_ tell me it's good news!" Usagi groaned. "I can't handle any more suspense, Saori-san!"

"Me neither!" Yukari blurted.

The other four teens clustered tightly around the ginger-haired girl as she answered the call, her hand trembling as she raised the phone to her ear. "Moshi moshi, Miho! How did it go?"

Saori listened to her dear friend's voice for a few seconds then let out a joyful cheer. " _Minna, Miho lost the duel! She's coming back to Ooarai to stay with us!"_

" _Yahoo!"_ Yukari yelled, flinging her arms tightly around Mako. "We have our commander back again! Nishizumi-dono and Luna Team saved the day!" She giggled, "Which is really strange because they were fighting against each other!"

"I never imagined I'd be so elated about Miho losing a match" the Anglerfish driver murmured. "But here I am, feeling precisely that."

Yukari released her hug and grinned at the driver. "More emotion, Mako-san! That's what you need to show at a happy time like this!"

"Ok... uh... yahoo? How was that, Yukari-san?"

The curly-haired loader laughed. "It'll do!"

. . . . . . . . . .


End file.
